Vlad and the Roman Triumph by Kate Cunningham

(AD) Hello, today I have another children’s book review for you. This is the 6th book in the series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Blurb

Vlad flea is back with another history adventure. Join him and his friend, Felix the cat, as they explore ancient Rome.

They are meant to be part of the Emperor’s Triumph, but become lost in their new city and are in danger of being over-shadowed by a monster which is destined for Octavian’s museum.

From the team that created the Flea in History series, this is an adventure story with information woven into the tale. Young readers will see all ranks of Romans, living their daily lives and joining in the celebrations.

With a fact file and 32 pages of colour illustrations this book tells the story of Octavian’s Triumph as narrated by Vlad.

Each page is full detail, and teaching materials and parent packs can be downloaded for free from the Reading Riddle website.

Audience

Primary school aged children ie 5-10 years. There are details that engage older children and I think this age group should be allowed to enjoy pictures. There are lots of free resources for parents and teachers on the author’s website.

Review

We really enjoyed this book. It was perfect for Alexis to read with ease and the story was fun and exciting. The illustrations were fantastic and accompanied the story perfectly. We will definitely be on the look out for the rest of these books and have recommended them to the school teachers for the school library.

About The Author

I was a primary teacher in large London primary schools for ten years after having initially worked in a development charity.

Being married to a historian I was constantly discussing the most amazing stories; sometimes large incidents that changed the political landscape, but often small personal tales that gave a glimpse of the life of our ancestors. My writing became more and more influenced by these events and the ripples we still feel from them.

My books now reflect that, sometimes directly in the picture books, but more as an influence, showing how people behave when caught up in events like in the pandemic in MARY.

I have three sons — my eldest, Sam, is an illustrator who works with me on the Vlad flea picture book series, and I visit schools (often in a kirtle) and create resources for parents and teachers.

Thanks for reading.

Emma-Louise and Alexis x