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Find out moreBooks about animals, birds and all living things, their habitat and our world
Frozen Mountain is an interactive adventure game book that teaches essential survival skills to up-and-coming explorers. The story unfolds following an emergency landing high in a remote mountain region and from there the reader has to make a series of life and death decisions to make it home. Every possible danger comes your way as you deal with frostbite, bear attacks, blizzards, raging torrents and more. Not to mention the basic techniques for finding food, water and not getting even more lost than you already are! Frozen Mountain is absolutely packed with expert advice and tips for surviving in the wilderness. My favourite was finding out how to make a snow hole to stay warm and safe during a storm - you never know when that might come in handy! Apart from the cool tips, what this book really teaches is the relationship between risk and luck, and how making good decisions is the most important thing when out in the mountains. Page after page there’s a threat to your life. You're provided with information to make a decision and then your decision is tested by the spinner which comes with the book - a reminder that in the end there is always an element of luck in any dangerous situation. Frozen Mountain is great fun and beautifully illustrated in the style of a classic adventure book, and it even includes snippets from terrifying real-life survival stories to fire the imagination! After all, an adventure wouldn’t be an adventure without the possibility you may not return…
Yuval Zommer’s enchanting picture book conjuration of the majesty of the northern lights and Arctic landscape is a seasonal delight that little ones will want to return to time and time again. Both the poetic text and magically stylised illustrations are mesmerising. This is a beautiful book to read aloud to share the wonders of the northern lights, and also a book children will adore poring over in their own time, delighting in the illustrative details while reciting the beguiling text. Much like the lights it describes, Zommer’s language dances - it skips off the page and over the tongue. The story is also suffused in a sense of light-through-darkness hope and togetherness. With subtle sparkles on its cover providing additional seasonal appeal, this is an utter joy.
December 2021 Non-fiction Book of the Month | ‘What is the most important animal of all?’, asks a teacher of a young class after they’ve spent a term learning about animals big and small. They all have different suggestions. George thinks it’s elephants, Nimmie puts forward bees, Seb votes for sharks and Kai nominates beavers. Others namr bats, tigers and even krill. As they make the case for their chosen animals, the children explain just why they’re so important, describing the effect they have on the environment and fellow creatures. Illustrations are perfectly combined with photos, fact boxes and text to demonstrate just how interconnected is our world and its ecosystems. The book provides a wealth of information presented clearly and in a way that will inspire young readers. The final spreads explain ‘keystone species’ and provide a glossary and ‘Find our more’ section. A very impressive and well-thought-out information book.
Shortlisted for the Blue Peter Awards 2022 Best Books with Facts | An international best-seller, translated into 25 languages Often human scientists try and solve a problem or invent a new tool and they realise that animals have already invented it for them. In this book you will meet the animal inventors who have shared their super inventing powers to make amazing things for humans.
Having covered Amazing Birds and Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures with flair, acclaimed artist, illustrator and passionate bird-watcher Matt Sewell here turns his unique eye and brilliant brush-strokes to another of nature’s awe-inspiring phenomena - amazing migrations. Covering fauna (and flora) from all corners of the globe, this is a treasure trove of insights and visual delights that will have young animal-lovers poring over it for hours. Featuring all kinds of animals - mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and insects - Atlas of Amazing Migration is packed with fascinating facts delivered in an engaging, witty style. The painted lady butterfly, for example, is described as being “common as muck” but “a force to be reckoned with” before we learn about their epic 15,000 km cross-continental migration. The book also explains how such journeys are possible, with the inclusion of plant migrations (wild cherries, violets, and coconuts) an unexpected, interesting addition.
This wonderful picture book explores themes of empathy, mindfulness and personal growth through the eyes of a child. Beautifully written and illustrated by the aw ard-winning artist Emma Carlisle, What Do You See When You Look At a Tree? urges readers to reconnect with nature by asking questions that encourage critical thinking and reflection on their own development, as well as helping to establish a deeper appreciation for the environment and their place within it. Stunning watercolour and hand-finished artw ork draws parallels to the bestselling The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse, and evokes the classic nostalgia of E. H. Shephard's much-loved Winnie-the-Pooh.
We are all on Earth but for a fleeting moment, yet no two lives are the same. From the delicate mayfly, which lives for just a few precious hours, to the death-defying immortal jellyfish, this book about animal life cycles is a celebration of creatures big and small. Beautifully written by bestselling children's author Lily Murray, this book explores lifespans across the animal kingdom. Beginning with the very shortest, and ending w ith the longest, learn about the lives of the incredible monarch butterfly, the mysterious axolotl, the grand Galápagos tortoise and many more in this uplifting and eye-opening book. It has never been more important to appreciate and understand the diversity of life. Stunning illustrations by highly-commended artist Jesse Hodgson perfectly capture each animal in their natural habitat, making this the ideal gift book as well as educational.
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month November 2021 | Tyrannosaurus Rex tells the story of a remarkable predator with the strongest bite force ever recorded that dominated the world 66 million years ago but then became extinct. The Tyrannosaurus Rex has long captured the imagination because of its size and power and because the story of its extinction is unexpected. Packed full of information written by experts and matched by amazing illustrations that bring unimaginable landscapes and the animals in them to life.
The big puzzle book is just what it says on the cover. 250 varied puzzles, quizzes and crosswords. It is set out in sections with a variety of activities within a theme; themes such as animals, history and transport. There is a good variety of topics and within each chapter there are word, picture and number puzzles, making it interesting and accessible, something for everyone. The book is not geared to a specific age group but the range of ability within the questions and puzzles covers a wide age range and ability levels. The book is a great size, easy to pick up and perfect for taking on a journey. The pages are laid out in a colourful and attractive way and the illustrations and instructions are bold and clear. I like that it is one in a series, and I would imagine that the other titles are equally fun and entertaining. A fun book to dip into and always good to have the answers at the back to check on. Definitely one for the Christmas stockings!
There are so many beautiful and interesting books about Earth, that you tend to think you have seen all the pictures, watched all the programmes, read all the books, but when you read this book, you will realise you haven’t even touched the sides. It is a wonderfully eye-popping book. Separated into different areas of the earth, and then sub divided into areas of interest, beauty, and fascination. It sparks an interest, like a free sample into a new experience. On each page there is just enough information to tempt you into finding out more through further reading and research, which as a learning tool in itself, is invaluable. The photography is superb, clear, vibrant and detailed. The whole book is packed with so much wonder. It makes you remember what a wonderful and partly unknown planet we live on, but also that however much we feel we have travelled, most of us haven’t really touched the surface. It made me feel rather ignorant of the world around me. The photography really is quite beautiful and it amazing to think that in over 200 pages, there is only a small boat on p59 and a lone house on p175. The anonymous photographers should be commended.
Albert the tortoise is woken up by the wind and finds himself very hungry. Unfortunately, before he can tuck in, his delicious breakfast has blown away, cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, celery and carrots scattered across the garden. The insects kindly gather it up and bring it back, but each time they’re gone before slow Albert can say thank you. He eventually puts this right, and his method of expressing his thanks is highly imaginative, to say the least, and should have children in stitches! Albert is based on a real tortoise apparently (and his food has occasionally blown away we’re told) and there’s a page of fascinating tortoise facts as an added treat at the end.
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month November 2021 | Another fascinating addition to this fabulous series about the major mass extinctions that have shaped the story of life on earth. Lisowicia is the remarkable story of a creature which has only recently been identified and named! Living from 201 million years ago and named for the place it was found in Poland, the story of the Lisowicia is fascinating. Packed full of information written by experts and matched by amazing illustrations that bring unimaginable landscapes and the animals in them to life.
If you want to know how your dog’s brain works, this is the book for you. Author Dr John Bradshaw is a biologist and anthrozoologist and an absolute expert on how dogs understand the world. With the help of Rusty, a terrier, he explains how dogs use their noses to ‘see’ things, how they communicate with each other (and us) and just how much they love their owners! It’s fascinating whether you have a dog or not, but if your best friend has four legs, then it’s a must have. After you’ve read the book, you’ll know so much about the best ways to keep your dog happy and why they behave the way they do. It’s a really accessible read and black and white illustrations by Clare Elsom make it even more appealing.
October 2021 Book of the Month | A guide to being the best – and happiest – person you can possibly be, this book takes a highly original approach and advises readers to learn lessons from animals. Author Carlie Sorosiak has gathered lots of examples of animal behaviour that demonstrate the importance of being yourself, of being brave, finding friends, being resilient. These range from meerkats who stop bullying and stand up for one another to wombats who shared their burrows with other animals during Australia’s bushfires. A particularly effective example is that of a racoon stuck in a storm drain for hours before eventually being released – the moral: all this will pass. It’s quirky, absorbing and enticingly do-able while Sorosiak’s cheerful, positive approach sets the perfect tone. Full of warmth and wisdom, this is a book to recommend to stressed young people.
Created in order to help children create healthy lifelong habits, ‘My First Animal Moves’ by Darryl Edwards is a picture and activity book that encourages both parents and children to learn about animals through movement and play. The illustrations are bright and colorful, with funny quips from Lola the dog as Nathan learns the new actions in Animal Moves land. This is a great concept to encourage young people to establish healthy habits around exercise. There’s an enthusiasm throughout that I think could encourage young readers to get excited and try all of the different moves as their parents or a teacher reads to them. Filled with lots of basic movements that are well described, I think that most children would be able to carry out each animal move with little difficulty. Like a P.E obstacle course with no equipment necessary, and no specific order required, this could be a nice story to read followed by a “Simon Says”-style game, for a quick burst of exercise at home or at school. A great concept and interesting new way to get children moving.
Imbued with infectious personal passion as it shares expert information and plenty of practical guidance, Vicki Hird’s Rebugging the Planet is a brilliant book for bug-lovers of all ages and, given bugs’ vital importance to the upkeep and well-being of Planet Earth (let’s pause for a moment to acknowledge the fact that bees contribute more to the UK economy than the Queen), it deserves to be enjoyed and implemented far and wide - at home, and in classrooms too. In fact, this is perfect for reading and implementing during longer holidays from school, or over the course of a term, especially chapter four which presents an extensive range of how-to ideas for re-bugging your own patch of the world. But back to the beginning. The book sets out its inspirational stall in the opening chapters by explaining all the vital things bugs do for us, among them pollinating plants, feeding birds, feeding humans, defending our food crops, cleaning our water, controlling pests, and healing us. Maggots, for example, can remove (munch) and disinfect rotting flesh, leeches can stop clots, and the honey made by bees has anti-inflammatory properties. To play a role in the author’s re-bugging initiative, readers might find themselves inspired to build a bug palace, buy bug-friendly food from bug-buddy farmers, and much more. This is packed with plenty of ways to live a bug-better life, which in turn means living on a better planet.
Fascinating, easy-to-understand text by zoologist, researcher and writer, Dr Nick Crumpton is complemented by amazingly detailed dinosaur artwork on every spread from talented illustrator, Gavin Scott. It features jaw-dropping research that will debunk many myths about all kinds of prehistoric creatures - If you want to be able to do more than tell a Tyrannosaurus from a Triceratops, then this is the book for you! The LoveReading LitFest invited Nick Crumpton to the festival to talk about his informative, inventive and brilliantly entertaining dinosaur book! You can view the event by subscribing to the LitFest programme for as little as £6 per month - or you can pay per view. For just £2, go, and watch this superb event chaired by our young Reading Ambassadors Charlie (7) and Fin (9). Check out a preview of the event here.
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