Miroslav Sasek was ahead of his time. In the late 1950's when the sleepy world of children's books was just about to wake up, Sasek cottoned on to the idea of writing guide books for children. Born in 1916, the author/illustrator, travelled the world, sketching and gathering. He began with This is Paris, then wrote This is London. He went on to write dozens of books in the series, covering major cities and countries around the world.
When the internet first became widely available, I rarely used it. One of the few things I was drawn to was used book sites. I went straight to www.Alibris.com because The New Yorker was advertising it and I bought two children's books. One was Play Street by Esther Wilkin ( 1962 Golden Press) and the other one was This is London by M. Sasek. I have to admit that competition in those early days of the late 1990's was not fierce and I paid quite a lot for the Sasek classic. But it was worth it. My children loved it. I loved it and the funniest thing was that eventhough the book in nearly fifty years old, so much about London remains true.
Universe Publishing is slowly re-releasing them. They have reprinted London, Ireland, Paris, New York, San Francisco and Venice. And I intend to collect the lot for a few reasons. They encapsulate a place. I read This is Paris before my recent two day trip there with my mother. I closed the book and thought, I must go to a bakery and see a dozen monuments. These books are not for young children. But for a nine year old, they would make a good quick read to help them decide what to do on vacation. For those less likely to roam, it will give them a true sense of what elements combine to create a unique location. And just like many family vacations, these books have their dry parts. It is not all jokes and fascinating facts. But while you are in This is Ireland and reading about yet, another church, the illustrations are there to peruse. He was an excellent artist. His cartoony people seem to have never left the 1950's. They have a signature style, full of expression. The books are generous in their large format, hardback state, true to the original design.
Although I love This is London, as an ex-pat New Yorker, This is New York, is my all time favourite.
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