Go to Jail!look Prisons Throug

Peter Kent has put forth a wonderful children's book as both writer and illustrator of "Go To Jail". It plays like a "Where's Waldo" of famous (and infamous) prisons throughout history. The Tower of London, Doge's Prison, the Bastille, Devil's Island, Alcatraz, and many more are intricately laid out across a two page spread with accompanying text briefly sharing notes of interest and tidbits of facts regarding the focused keep.Within each picture there is an incarcerated cast to be located. Every prison will have it's kind jailer, the cruel jailer, the Governor (or head jailer), the prisoner that has adapted and made himself comfortable, and the one that's trying to get away. One will also find a prisoner's pet in each lock-up, as well. I must admit, though, that my favorite part of the book is in locating the famous prisoner in each scene. Within the front and back covers is the Rogues' Gallery where you will find a listing of Who's Who among the illustrated fortresses for you to locate. Al Capone, Josef Stalin, and Sir Thomas More, just to name a few. All in all, this is a very unique and surprisingly fun (for it's topic) book. It may be a little morbid for the very young, but I definitely recommend it as a child will actually learn something historic while enjoying its game-like structure at the same time. However, I am forced to rate this "version" of Kent's book a mere four stars as compared to the "original" which I gave five to. The sole reason for a lesser recommendation lies entirely in the title. "Go To Jail" is just too Monopoly-esque for me. Instead, I prefer "Behind Bars" that was published a year prior in the UK by McDonald Young Books. Other than differing titles, they are one and the same. So take your pick. Either one will make a wonderful edition to a child's library... or an adult's!