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The Amazing Animal Atlas

The Amazing Animal Atlas

The Amazing Animal Atlas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Amazing Animal Atlas

Dr Nick Crumpton

Gaia Bordicchia

Flying Eye Books, 2017

52pp., hbk., RRP $A39.99

9781909263116

Little people love big books so this one that is 375mm tall will certainly appeal.  Add to the size is the content which is also a favourite of little people and this new publication will be a welcome addition to  the collection.

Beginning with a huge double page spread that shows the animal side of the tree of life in pictorial format which is followed by another double spread of their key habitats around the world, it then starts in the Arctic and makes its way through all the continents showing the iconic creatures of each region with some pages opening out to magnificent double double-page spreads! Information is in short paragraphs which will encourage further exploration in more detailed texts. 

Having whet the appetite with the amazing variety of creatures that share the planet with us, there are four pages devoted to identifying why they are at risk and what we can do about it – very much a case of “Now that I know this, what can I do about it?” 

Complete with a contents page, index, and references this is also a great resource for helping young readers use the cues to find the information they want – no one is too young to begin their information literacy.

A sound investment for either the library or the home collection.

Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System

Professor Astro Cat's Solar System

Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System

Dr Dominic Walliman

Ben Newman

Flying Eye Books, 2017

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781911171379

Professor Astro Cat is the smartest cat in the alley, in fact so much so, he’s got a degree in just about any discipline under the sun.  In this, the latest in a series to help younger readers understand science better, he takes young explorers on a journey around the solar system, visiting each planet and explaining its various features in simple to understand language and appealing illustrations that will answer the questions and pique the interest of those who want to know more.

From the time they are able to distinguish night and day, little ones want to know more and so this is an excellent beginning book that will help them understand how things work. In keeping with the demands of the young and the potential of the digital environment, there is also an app which has a four-star review from Common Sense Media

With the heavy emphasis on STEM in the curriculum and the NSW government investing $80 000 000 in STEM over the next three years this would be a worthwhile investment for your collection for littlies.

 

Sharkpedia

Sharkpedia

Sharkpedia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharkpedia

DK  Publishing, 2017

128pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781465463128

If there is one section of the library that is just as popular as 567.9, it is 597.3. And if there is one piece of music that still sends shivers up the spine of many it is this

As the Australian summer and holiday season approaches, these creatures will be in the news as people venture into their territory and the debate about their continued existence will rage again.

So this safari with Professor John Bigelow Finnegan (aka Big Finn), a ’round-the-globe expedition to study these mighty and mysterious creatures” visiting shark haunts and hideouts to study the habits and habitats of a variety of  species will be a welcome addition to the collection.  Using photos, diagrams, headings, accessible text and a clever variety of other devices this will appeal to all those who are fascinated by these creatures and who want to know more.  As well as the usual facts and figures, it dispels myths, looks at current research and even introduces some of the stories, movies and television programs that feature sharks, painting a whole-well-rounded picture that demonstrates that these creatures not only have a right to their existence but play a critical part in the planet’s ecology.

Done with the usual DK thoroughness and understanding of what young readers want and how they want it, this is perfect for both the experienced and novice shark-trackers.

DK Children’s Encyclopedia

DK Children's Encyclopedia

DK Children’s Encyclopedia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DK Children’s Encyclopedia

DK, 2017

304pp., hbk., RRP $A49.99

9780241283868

 

Miss 6, a newly independent reader with an insatiable curiosity for the world around her, came to stay for the weekend.  As usual, after dumping her bag where Grandad could trip over it she headed straight for my pile of review books to see what was new and this encyclopedia was on the top of the pile… and that was the last we saw of her till teatime.

Written for her age group with appropriate language, sentence structure, pictures and layout at last she felt she had found something just right for her.  No more having to get Miss 11 or a nearby adult to help her find things and then explain them – she was independent and LOVING it. (And no arbitrary phonics tests to test her skills – she was motivated, she expected to find out what she wanted to know and she had a range of strategies to draw on!)

Each page is devoted to a topic and with its alphabetical arrangement she was able to flip through to what she wanted, although after she learned how to use the Contents page she felt very grown up. Nine different key subject areas are covered – Art, People, History, Earth, Nature, Science, Technology, Space and the Human Body – all those which fascinate this age group and each is colour-coded so classifying is easy and the idea of grouping like with like is reinforced.  Each topic also has a “See Also” box so the reader can read more in related topics, and there is a comprehensive glossary, an index and a Reference section, each of which Miss 6 wanted to learn how to use “so I can use my book properly.” There are also several “Story of…” pages, double-page spreads which bring together information from different perspectives to take the thinking further.

While her bag was somewhat heavier when she left for home, Miss 6 didn’t mind the extra weight because she now had her “very own ‘cyclopedia”, had learned a lot of new skills and was feeling very smug. 

This is the perfect addition to your early childhood collection so little people can feel as empowered as Miss 6 and a perfect suggestion for parents for the Christmas stocking!

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

 

Big Picture Book of General Knowledge

Big Picture Book of General Knowledge

Big Picture Book of General Knowledge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Picture Book of General Knowledge

James Maclaine

Annie Carbo

Usborne, 2017

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781474917889

Miss 6 is at that stage where she wants to know “stuff”.  Inspired by a teacher who not only encourages her endless curiosity but also being independent in her quest for answers, she is always looking through her growing collection of “fact books”.  And now she is all but an independent reader, the thrill and affirmation she gets when she can find the answers for herself delights her and inspires her even further.

So this latest offering from Usborne will be a welcome addition to her collection.  With its double-page spreads of the sorts of topics its intended audience is interested in – animals, the body, food and drink, music, space, sports and many more – each double page spread is packed with a plethora of short facts accompanied by lots of hand-drawn illustrations.  Rather than being an in-depth encyclopedia, it is designed for those who love to dip and delve into non fiction to see where what they discover will take them.  And for those whose interest is ignited Usborne have a page of quick links for them to investigate further.

Perfect for Miss 6 and that group of boys that we all know who like to gather around a table in the library with this sort of book to share and explore and discuss what they discover. 

Do You Know About Space?

Do You Know About Space?

Do You Know About Space?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Know About Space?

Sarah Cruddas

DK Publishing, 2017

144pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9780241283820

What is space?  Where does space really begin?  Why is Jupiter stripy? What is a light year? How are rockets launched?

There are few parents of young, curious children who have not been confronted with questions like these as their offspring begin to realise that there is a world even larger than the one immediately around them and they want to find out more. 

So here is the answer – a new publication by DK that uses children’s questions and an inquiry approach to provide the answers.  Using extraordinary photos and clear diagrams supported by child-size bites of text over 200 common questions about space have been answered at a level that the child will understand.  Yet there is enough information for the really curious to want to investigate further.  For example, in 2007 tiny animals called tardigrades survived for 10 days in space outside a spacecraft – but what is a tardigrade?  (You can find out here.) There are even quick quizzes that encourage them to read the text closely, including picture captions, critical information literacy skills.

DK have a sound and deserved reputation for bringing non fiction to young readers in a way they can access and engage with and this new addition is no exception.  Ideal for the eyebrow-raising questions for parents who can get themselves off the hook by suggesting they use the book to find out together, yet tantalising enough for those with a need to know more.

My Encyclopedia of Very Important Animals

My Encyclopedia of Very Important Animals

My Encyclopedia of Very Important Animals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Encyclopedia of Very Important Animals

Dorling Kindersley, 2017

224pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9780241276358

 

Anyone who has spent time with little people, particularly boys, will know that they often gravitate to the non fiction collections of the school library where they can get a THICK book (very important) and then pore over the pictures for hours at a time.  If the pictures and diagrams are of high quality then they can absorb a lot of information from them even if they can’t manage the text yet.  

In this new publication from non fiction experts DK the editors have mastered combining stunning illustrations with just the right amount of text to support the beginning reader, often only one sentence and using vocabulary that is appropriate to the age group whilst not “talking down.” Divided into four sections – All About Animals;  Amazing Animals; Animal Antics and More Very Important Animals – it begins with a clear explanation of what animals are, differentiating them from plants, and then moves on to those of land, sea and air. 

Using lots of colour, a clear, clean font of a good size, labels, speech bubbles and other literary devices, the young reader is taken on a journey through the animal kingdom that they will return to again and again, all the while honing their reading skills as they want to know more than just the pictures can tell them.  At the back they are introduced to the concept of a glossary which explains the meaning of some of the more unusual words they might encounter like amphibian and exoskeleton, as well as an index that will help them find just what they are looking for. 

With more and more research emerging about the need for children to develop basic literacy skills using print if they are to use and interpret online information efficiently and effectively,this is a must-have addition in both the school and home libraries.  

 

DKFind Out! (series)

DKFind Out! (series)

DKFind Out! (series)

 

 

 

 

DKFind Out! (series)

DK Publishing, 2017

64pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

Decades ago DK Publishing revolutionised the presentation of non fiction to young readers with bright photographs, information in manageable, well-labelled chunks and the clever use of white space so that the reader was not overwhelmed.  Their Eyewitness series became a staple of primary school library collections.  Now they have a launched a new series for the younger reader, using their familiar format but adding many more features so the newly independent reader can access information at their level.

Beginning with a durable paperback cover which folds out to be a quiz with answers and essential information relevant to the topic such as areas of study, a timeline or a phylogenetic tree, it then offers a page where the reader can jot down the things they have already identified that they want to find out thus supporting the inquiry method of investigation from the get-go.  Then, as is customary with DK books, there are the usual contents, glossary and index pages which encourage and enable young readers to use the clues to get to what they want and in between are double-page spreads of basic information and glossy photographs and diagrams, all clearly labelled.  So as well as being an ideal way of exploring print to find information they also serve as a model for students to present their findings if their searches have been assignment based rather than just curiosity. 

To top it there is an easy-to-navigate website that offers more information and activities as well as support for teachers and parents.  Like the books it is also a teaching tool for helping young children learn to use a website for information, one designed for their level and more authoritative and targeted than Wikipedia.

Despite the misguided opinion of some, there is a lot of research and reasons that primary school libraries, particularly, need to have a robust, attractive, up-to-date non fiction collection and this new series demonstrates the value of not only catering to those who prefer to read non fiction but also those wanting to find out more NOW!  As well, the series is attractively priced so that parents can purchase individual volumes to accompany particular interests or investigations that their child is pursuing.  

Miss 6 is fascinated with the human body and snaffled my review copy as soon as she saw it, not only asking and answering questions for herself but also learning vital lessons about using such resources.  Now she is exploring those for information as often as those for her imagination. It won’t be hard to fill her Christmas stocking!

The Earth Book

The Earth Book

The Earth Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Earth Book

Jonathan Litton

Thomas Hegbrook

Little Tiger Press, 2017

64pp., hbk., RRP $A39.99

9781848575240

 

“In the vastness of space lies a tiny sphere that orbits an ordinary middle-aged star in a quiet backwater of the Milky Way.  It’s one of billions of trillions of worlds, yet it is the only one that we know supports life… let’s go on a voyage of discovery to the four corners of the globe.”

Beginning with the beginning of the planet’s existence and told in a narrative style suitable for the newly independent reader who likes to read non fiction rather than dipping and delving for specific information, this is a beautifully illustrated book that takes the reader on a journey through physical earth, life on earth, the regions of the earth and the human planet.  

With its retro colour palette, diagrams and pictures it reminds me very much of a similar book I used to pore over 60 years ago and which I still have, such was its importance to my understanding of the world.  While today’s youngsters have television and the Internet to take them on similar journeys, nevertheless there is comfort and security in having something on hand that can be referred to over and over on demand; that gives enough information to satisfy a curiosity while also being a springboard to seeking further understanding if that is required.  

However, the illustrations are not as clear as might be expected for a ready reference resource of this type and being unpaged, and lacking a contents page and an index make its use more a personal one than an essential element of a library’s collection.  It is one to recommend to parents who are looking to boost their for home libraries so their children can start to understand what this planet is and how it works. It may become as loved as mine did and decades on form part of a collection of adored childhood reads. 

As world events and personal dramas seem to envelop us, books like this tend to put mankind and indeed Earth into perspective in the scheme of things and we are left with a wonder and an awe of this ‘third rock from the sun” as well as a sense of hope that despite everything and everyone, this place will endure for our lifetime and that of several lifetimes to come. 

 

My Amazing Body Machine

My Amazing Body Machine

My Amazing Body Machine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Amazing Body Machine

Robert Winston

Owen Gildersleeve

DK Publishing, 2017

128pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9780241283806

Young children are always fascinated with their bodies and how they work and this new publication from DK is the perfect starting point for those who are ready to delve a little deeper.  Divided into nine sections, each dealing with a different but related phenomenon of the body, with bite-sized chunks of information in accessible text  interspersed with colourful informative diagrams and photos, this is would be an ideal addition to the family reference library ready to consult when questions are asked as well as the school library collection.  Having it out on display so students can leaf through it as they wait will spark lots of curiosity and a desire to find out more. The perfect introduction to the role of the encyclopedia as a starting point to finding out a little and sparking the desire to go to a more specialised book to find out more.

DK have been at the forefront of introducing non fiction to young readers for decades and this is no exception.