Published by Hodder Children’s Books, 2015.

I’m always bewildered as to why HRH Elizabeth II actually needs a handbag. What exactly does she keep in it? It’s not as if she’ll ever need a purse or her bus pass. Still, the fact is, she’s rarely seen without it. This entertaining picture book by Steve Antony takes a look at what happens when one day, during a tour of Great Britain, the queen’s handbag is stolen by a swan.

The queen is soon in hot pursuit, along with huge numbers of police officers who have been drafted in to help apprehend the swan. What follows is a high energy chase across the UK, taking in many of the nation’s most well known landmarks.

Children will love this book because there’s so much going on in the illustrations. The colours are simple – black, white and blue with touches of red – but the crowd scenes are incredibly detailed. It’s great fun looking at what the police officers are up to in each picture. There’s also a Where’s Wally element to the illustrations as the queen’s corgi and her butler are hidden in each picture. Steve Antony has even drawn up a list of other characters and objects to hunt for. Plus, there’s more excitement because every time you turn the page the queen is using a different mode of transport: car, motorbike, train, plane, bike, boat, horse and even parachute!

The Queen’s Handbag is a brilliant picture book that’s lots of fun.

Rating: 💙💙💙💙💙

Suitable for children aged 2+

We borrowed this book from Solihull Libraries.