Books

Five minute chat with Ben Fogle on his passion for Labradors

Ben Fogle is a friendly familiar face on British television and famous for his passion for Labradors. London Mums have interviewed him and published here the first five minute of our chat. The rest of the interview will be published in the forthcoming Spring issue out in supermarkets from the end of February 2016. In this first interview writer, presenter and long-time dog lover Ben Fogle talks…
Read more
Books

Festive reads for children - The 12 best Christmas books

I love Christmas because I can spend quality time with my son, my nieces and my extended family. I particularly enjoy reading stories to and with my son. Even if the stories are for younger children, Christmas books have the taste of ginger biscuit with a glass of milk. They leave a lovely after taste for a long time. Here is my selection of the best Christmas books for children. The Snow…
Read more
Books

Top 10 Star Wars books

To celebrate the imminent release of the 7th instalment of Star Wars, I have found myself totally immersed in Star Wars’ literature of all sorts on top of catching up with the old movies.  Here are my favourite Star Wars books (recent and old). Enjoy! DK Star Wars – Absolutely everything you need to know This is the best Star Wars encyclopaedia ever made. Any fans of the George…
Read more
Books

Finding Winnie - The story of the real bear who inspired Winnie The Pooh

As if we didn’t love Winnie The Pooh enough, knowing that he was inspired by a real female bear who was as sweet as his precious honey, will make us fall in love with Milne’s stories even more. Finding Winnie is a new picture book telling the true story of the bear who inspired Winnie The Pooh. It is written by Harry Colebourn’s real-life great-granddaughter Lindsay Mattick who…
Read more
Books

Paris up, up and away - A unique picture book and a poetic tribute to the City of Light

Paris Up, Up and Away by French illustrator and paper and textile designer Hélène Druvert (published by Thames & Hudson) is a the most original and unique picture book I have ever come across (yes really!). In the awakening of the Paris attacks this book becomes a poetic tribute to the City of Light and for that reason it is even more emotional. The story starts with the words The Eiffel…
Read more
Books

London celebrates the Suffragettes

Amid public controversy, the release of the wonderful Suffragette movie has stimulated mass curiosity for the historical events behind the Suffragettes movement led by Lady Emmeline Pankhurst and more generally for women’s fight for equality. This is a topic that has always interested me personally and I am happy to have finally found a book that has all the answers to my questions, March…
Read more
Books

Top 10 children's books about London

If you love London half as much as I do, you cannot get enough reading about this great city that keeps us all hooked up. It was about time that we create a comprehensive list of well known children’s books about London. Enjoy! Here’s London Mums’ favourite children’s books about the British Capital. Beatrice and the London Bus book series London based Italian author…
Read more
Books

Book review: The Greenfingers of Monsieur Monet

The first ever children’s book just published by the Royal Academy of Arts, The Green Fingers of Monsieur Monet by Italian authors Giancarlo Ascari and Pia Valentinis is a wonderful book with an old fashioned feel. An enchanting book that introduces children to this most beloved of Impressionists and his amazing garden. It tells the real story of painter gardener Monet who is not just…
Read more
Books

Autumn reads for children

This Autumn literary world is filled with amazingly coloured illustrations. Here are London Mums’ favourite Autumn reads for children. Happy reading! Tree: Seasons Come, Seasons Go by Britta Teckentrup & Patricia Hegarty (Little Tiger Press) Austrian illustrator and author Britta Teckentrup together with Patricia Hegarty manage to create the magic of the seasonal changes in nature…
Read more
Books

British Storytellers light up Kensington Gardens Serpentine at the best publishing event of the year

If you love books and storytelling the place to be and to be seen this week was most certainly Kensington Gardens Serpentine Gallery at the annual lavish party hosted by a newly merged Penguin Random House Publishing. London Mums Editor Monica Costa and I felt it was such a treat mingling with some of Britain’s best authors and illustrators of the like of Jeremy Strong (the Hundred Mile dog…
Read more