Playtown by Roger Priddy, illustrated by Dan Green and published by Priddy Books is a fun and engaging lift-the-flap book for young children.
Each page shows a different scene in Playtown from shops on the high street and travellers at the train station to staying at a hotel and visiting the zoo. Rich in colour and detail, this book is a delight for little ones with a wealth of things to discover. There are so many features on each page and even more to find under the many flaps to lift.
At the fire station we find out what equipment is inside a fire engine as well as sneaking a peek at what the fire fighters do in between emergency calls. Down at the airport you can discover all the different things that happen when getting ready to take a flight.
The brilliance of this book is how accessible it is for children of different ages; for younger children the playful and entertaining illustrations are a delight to look through, whilst older children will enjoy finding out facts about different parts of a town. There are also plenty of funny things to spot; at least two people are looking shocked as you lift up their flaps and reveal them sitting on the toilet, hilarious of course to my four-year-old! Whereas my one-year-old enjoys finding the many many cats throughout the book helping out in all sorts of places.
The book is big and sturdy with handy tabs at the side to help readers navigate to their favourite page. The illustrations are bright and appealing, packed full of actions, objects and a wide range of people. The population of Playtown shows great diversity with a mix of cultures represented, at least one same sex couple with a child and a good balance of men and women employed in different jobs.
A gorgeous book that is a joy to share with little ones, a great way to learn new words and a perfect tool for starting conversations. Although the best review of this book comes from Gabriel Priddy and is printed on the back cover: “Dad, I think this is probably the best book you’ve made so far.” You can’t argue with that.
You can see more of the books from Priddy Books on their website here.
Acorn Books 
We have this book and my kids adore it, so many things to see and do, thanks for sharing with #ReadWithMe
LikeLike
It’s fast become a favourite in our house too! #readwithme
LikeLike
This looks perfect for my grandchildren. How had I not seen it before?
Thanks for sharing
#readwithme
LikeLike
It would be a perfect book to have a your house for them as they could dip in to it at every visit #readwithme
LikeLike
As an adult I’m fascinated by these wonderful illustrations. I can imagine a child would love them 🙂
#ReadWithMe
LikeLike
I do love looking at the illustrations too and seeing what everyone is up to. They would be great starters for story telling as you can imagine the lives they are living. #readwithme
LikeLike
I really like the Priddy books too! But not see this one – must have a look for it! #readwithme
LikeLike
I think this is the first one we’ve had but I’m definitely going to look out for more #readwithme
LikeLike
Wow, 70 flaps sounds brilliant! Wonder how long it would take my niece to destroy all of them… I can just imagine the hilarity of finding the people on the toilet. Never mind the kids, that would make me laugh too!
LikeLike
They know exactly where to find the toilets and go straight for them now, never stops being funny! The flaps are pretty sturdy, my 1yo can be quite heavy handed but he looks at this book on his own sometimes and it’s still intact. #readwithme
LikeLike
Lift the flap books were always a favourite when my children were little and this one looks lovely 🙂
LikeLike
we LOVE the playtown books here. Think we have them all – the children spend hours pouring over them. #readwithme
LikeLike