Thomas the Baker & the Fire of London

Thomas the Baker and the Fire of London is a really well done, simplified version of the great fire in London in the 1600s. I liked all the different characters, and the text was easy to read. The illustrations were bright too!

This rhyming picture book tells the story of the great fire of London in 1666 that started with a baker's fire accidentally sparked flames while he slept. The mayor of London did not want too much to be done and let the city burn, until the King ordered the fire to be put out and new stone buildings to be built to replace what had burned. It is an interesting story that I was unaware of previously and I think it was told in a way that is very easy for readers to understand. I would imagine that this book would be very helpful for elementary teachers in the UK who need to teach the history of London, but I think that it would be a good book for any young reader to learn about how quickly fires can spread and also how fires were fought long before we had big fire engines and fire hydrants on every street! I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 4-9 range. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is a delightful retelling of the Great Fire of London from the perspective of Thomas the Baker from whose bakery the fire started. The events are told in rhyming lines with language that is imaginative and our perfect for younger readers and listeners. The illustrations add to the telling of the tale. This is a good read for a one to one or with a class…I already envisage this will be a success with key stage 1 teachers as they love new books from familiar themes and with the addition of the rhyming vocabulary then this will be a winner

This children's book is a dramatization of the Great Fire of London in 1666. I actually had no idea that the fire started in a bakery! I thought it might be fictionalized, but went to read about the actual fire after and saw that it really did start in a bakery (so I learned something new!) I liked the stylized illustrations as well.

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!