Vlad and the Great Fire of London tells the story of one of the most famous events in the history of London. In 1666 the Great Fire destroyed most of the medieval City of London and made thousands of Londoners homeless.

Vlad the flea narrates this tale about his adventure on the back of his friend, Boxton the rat. They love eating rubbish (Boxton) and biting people (Vlad). Unfortunately most of the people Vlad bites seem to die of the plague. One night in Pudding Lane they witness the start of the blaze and need to run for their lives. As they dash through the city they see the people fighting to stop the flames and those like the diarist, Samuel Pepys who try to save precious objects. They end their adventure in the fields outside London with the refugees who have lost their homes.

The colour illustrations show life in seventeenth century London and how the fire could have spread from an oven to the streets around the bakery. They are intended both to support the story but also to clarify common misconceptions children have around the events.

The Great Fire of London is a common Key Stage 1 history topic in the English National Curriculum. This book provides an exciting and interesting way to introduce the facts and encourage discussion around the people and what happened to them.

The text was written by Kate Cunningham, an experienced primary school teacher who has taught the topic many times, and was illustrated by her son, Sam, who is an art student.