100 First Words: City

An addition to the 100 First Words series from Nosy Crow, City is a welcome collection of words that children will find in the cities they live in, themed into items found in streets, stations, zoos, supermarkets, museums, pools and restaurants. Each double-page spread in this large book with thick card pages has a clear, graphic layout with each word separated into its own box with an accompanying image, and the font is large, bold and clear.

Toddlers and preschoolers love this kind of “point and say” book, both from the point of view of having a sense of familiarity with their everyday world and getting a sense of belonging by naming things, but also because they love learning new words, and their vocabulary at this stage is widening every day.

Underwood (and the publisher, Nosy Crow) really understand early years development and you can see that in the way the book is constructed with lift-the-flaps for added interest, the clear design and choice of words included, and the bright, simple colours.