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Emily Hawkins is a writer and editor of children's books for all ages. She wrote the New York Times bestseller Oceanology, as well as several other titles in the Ology series, which has sold over 16 million copies worldwide. She holds a first-class English degree from Nottingham University, and now lives in Winchester with her young family.
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…
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month November 2020 | Nature is full of record-breaking adventures which are brought to life in the detailed and dramatic illustrations that fill every inch of the large scale book. Global in its reach, it is a gold mine of information as it takes readers on a world tour of astonishing achievements. There’s the fastest land animal – the cheetah from Botswana, the hottest place on Earth – Ethiopia, The Longest-erupting Volcano – Italy and many more. Across thirty gloriously bold spreads readers will discover wonderful and surprising facts about all kinds of aspects of the planet.
This enchanting reinvention of a Natural History of Fairies written by botanist Professor Elsie Arbour in the 1920s glows with timeless charm and the magic of nature. What’s more, author Emily Hawkins’s message about protecting fairies’ natural habitats has important real-world resonance, such as this: “human actions are putting fairies’ habitats at risk. When forests and woodland are cut down to make space for farmland…then fairies’ homes are destroyed.” Fairy enthusiasts will delight in the detail of the softly-radiant illustrations that present fairy anatomy and life cycles in the manner of natural history books, replete with labels and descriptions. Throughout, the book is suffused with a thrilling feeling that fairies might be found - if you know what you’re looking for, and where to look. The section on language and secret scripts will undoubtedly inspire young readers to write their own fairy codes, while coverage of a huge range of habitats - from meadows, gardens and woodlands, to mountains, marine environments and jungles - gives a satisfying global feel. Alongside providing fairy-lovers with much fodder for exploration, this coverage of habitats, and information on the likes of leaves, plants and animals, might also spark a wider love of nature. Sumptuously presented, with a silk bookmark, and gold edging and cover foil supplementing Jessica Roux’s illustrations, this book’s style is every bit as charming as its content, which makes it a gift to treasure.
A Collection of Natural Wonders, Marine Marvels and Undersea Antics from Across the Globe | The 5th title in the best-selling Atlas of Adventures series, that has now been translated into 31 languages, is a highly topical guided tour of marine wonders from each of the world’s five oceans, taking the reader from the depths of the Marianas Trench to colourful reefs, kelp forests, tropical beaches and to seabird’s rocky nesting sites. Each featured animal (and often these are often the fascinatingly less familiar examples) is given a double-page spread with a full-colour backdrop illustrating the habitat with illuminating snippets of text invitingly laid out, including useful maps that show the locations of the animals. A stand-out feature of this series is the humorous writing which instantly engages young readers and makes the books accessible to a wide age group. The beautiful illustrations include some fun oddities too- an octopus playing the violin or a penguin with a bucket and spade, and these are listed at the back for readers to search for throughout the book. A recurrent theme is the the dangers of floating plastic and other pollution which comes together at the end in a spread titled “Oceans in Danger.” With an excellent index this is another great example from this team of an invaluable information resource that is an entertaining and absorbing book which can be dipped in and out of and read with great pleasure. A recommended addition to any school library.
A world of prehistoric wonders awaits young readers in this excellent information book. Divided by continent it features maps of each followed by scenes depicting the area’s different dinosaur species in their natural habitats. There are notes on each dinosaur represented with detailed information on 30, from the really familiar – T Rex – to more recent discoveries such as the Gigantoraptor. The information is filled with memorable comparisons such as ‘steak-knife teeth’ and quirky visual jokes too: many of the big predators have got napkins round their necks and one is holding a knife and fork. Lucy Lethbridge’s illustrations capture the essence of the dinosaurs in bold, unfussy but arresting images and this will spark real and lasting interest in its subject. ~ Andrea Reece
This atlas may be pocket sized, but it still packs in all seven continents and provides close-ups on some of the smallest of world’s marvels, from the tiniest animals and insects, to some of Europe’s miniature works of art. There’s a huge amount too in each picture for children to spot, and fascinating snippets of information likely to whet their appetite for exploration and discovery. Lucy Letherland’s illustrations are full of life and humour too, and will inspire many hours of contented browsing – in face, slip this into a Christmas stocking and it might even win you some extra snoozing time on Christmas morning. ~ Andrea Reece
A birthday celebration to be shared by all! Open the flaps and uncover all the presents that Amazing Baby gets on his first birthday. There’s a truck, a duck, a bouncy ball, a toy train and finally, a beautiful birthday cake with just one candle on it. If you’re looking for other great books for this age range then go to our Babies and Toddlers category.
Over 30 minutes of fresh and exciting party songs, perfect for that birthday baby get-together. The book also features bright, bold graphics and chunky tabs for little fingers. If you’re looking for other great books for this age range then go to our Babies and Toddlers category.
look at me! has chunky pages cut into three sections, so you can have hands-on fun flipping back and forth to create a variety of funny baby faces. Includes a mirror at the back to reflect your own amazing baby’s face. A funky format at a great price. If you’re looking for other great books for this age range then go to our Babies and Toddlers category.
