This is London

First published in 1959, and somehow it just keeps getting better. Sasek's bold, graphic illustrations of the Tower of London, the Changing of the Guard, the red buses and the Underground roundel have a warmth and confidence that no amount of modern illustration has ever quite matched. If you're taking a child to London, or you just love London, or you simply appreciate a truly beautiful picture book: this is the one.

We love it because:

• The illustrations are genuinely extraordinary: sixty full-colour paintings in Sasek's unmistakable mid-century style, bold and witty and alive with the particular character of the city
• It works as a picture book, a London guide, a piece of design history and a coffee table book all at once, which is quite a trick
• Children who've visited London will spot everything and feel like experts; children who haven't will want to go immediately
• The kind of book that adults linger over just as long as the children do, and then quietly keep for themselves

What's in the box:

• Hardback, 64 pages
• 60 full colour illustrations throughout
• Published by Rizzoli

Great for:

• Ages 4 and up, and design-loving adults of any age
• A gift before or after a London trip, a beautiful addition to any bookshelf, or a present for anyone who loves the city
• A genuine classic that has been in print for over sixty years for very good reason

Important to know:

• Hardback, 64 pages
• Dimensions: 31.1 x 22.2cm (12.2 x 8.7 in)
• 60 colour illustrations
• ISBN: 9780789310620
• Published March 2009 (originally 1959)