Archive | March 17, 2022

An Anthology of Intriguing Animals

Mar17
An Anthology of Intriguing Animals

An Anthology of Intriguing Animals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Anthology of Intriguing Animals

Ben Hoare

Dorling Kindersley, 2018

224pp., hbk., RRP $A39.99

9780241334393

There comes a time in almost every child’s life when they want to know more about the creatures they share this planet with, and this fascinating animal encyclopedia with a twist showcases more than 100 animals in close-up detail. Arranged from biggest to smallest, the wildlife of the world is revealed with stunning photography and gorgeous illustrations while the easy-to-read storybook descriptions will delight newly independent readers.  Not only will they  discover amazing animal facts, such as why the humpback whale blows a bubble ring around a shoal of fish and how the plodding pangolin protects itself from predators, as well as some of the stories and myths surrounding their other favourite beasts.

With the usual navigation tools including a visual guide, this modern bestiary lets them find the animals of interest independently as well as uncovering new favourites along the way. From lions and butterflies to sharks and spiders there’s an animal for everyone in this celebration of the animal kingdom. Every animal is shown both photographically and illustrated, and children will love poring over the detailed images. The index is packed with reference information, including the size and location of each species, and a tree of life shows how the animal groups are connected.

With foil on the cover, gilded edges, and a ribbon for keeping your place, it is also  thick and heavy which is often the primary criteria for a certain age group.  Definitely worth the investment. 

Greek Myths

Mar17
Greek Myths

Greek Myths

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greek Myths

Jean Menzies

Katie Ponder

DK, 2020

160pp., hbk., RRP $A35.00

9780241397459

Even though the ancient Greek civilisation stretched across the Mediterranean, all parts share the same gods and heroes, their way of understanding the world around them and explaining to those less educated how things worked. The gods and goddesses who forged the Earth and set rules for all others to follow were such an integral part of their lives that they were integrated into daily life through their stories, their arts and even referenced in their law.  To this day, thousands of years since they ruled the known world at the time, these stories are known and their heroes recognised. 

In this impressive, weighty tome whose physical appearance belies its accessibility to its target audience of young independent readers, the stories are retold in modern easy-to-understand language accompanied by lots of illustrations.  They are organised under headings of The Beginning, The Olympian Gods, Humans and the Gods, and Heroes and there is also a section that explains more about the role of the myths in Greek life.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

As with all DK publications for young readers, there are the usual supports for young readers such as an easy-to-navigate contents page, glossary and index, but, importantly, for this one, there is also a pronunciation guide so little tongues can master those tricky names.  Imagine not only being able to say “tyrannosaurus rex” but also ‘Chimaera’ and ‘Eurydice’ and even ‘Penelope’ (which was what I was to be called except my mum knew people couldn’t pronounce it!)   Perfect for dropping at the family dinner table and all because the child found this amazing book in the school library collection!

If your curriculum includes a unit focusing on superheroes, this is a must-have… how do today’s heroes match up and will they still be around in 1000 years?