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Non-Fiction Book Reviews
Along Came A Rainbow
Saskia Gwinn, illus. Paula Bowles, pub. Templar Books
The cover of this book is bright and appealing and captures the tone of this well-designed, robust paperback. It is “A wet and windy story” that teaches us about science. Presentation is excellent with a good balance of text and illustration, information and humour. Various techniques are used such as captions, cartoons, speech bubbles, different fonts and using portrait and landscape. Topics include rainbows; clouds; rain and hail; fog; snow and sleet; storm clouds; winds; tornadoes; thunder storms; sunshine and the water cycle.
I enjoyed the use of personification and dramatic monologues. My favourite is the Storm Cloud whose lowering picture spreads over two pages. “I am a storm cloud. Enormous. Gigantic. The Queen of Clouds. Bursting with energy from my fat bottom to my cauliflower head.” I loved the busy portrayal of warm and cold air on the underground, and the exciting lightning bolt that “came out of nowhere.” “I am faster than a cheetah… I am faster than a racing car… I am faster than a dino who needs a wee on a Wednesday and… I am EVEN faster than a ROCKET. Why, it would take me less than an hour to get to the Moon! So long slackers!” I also loved the calming blue and white double page that shows high, middle and low skies and the different types of clouds associated with them. The text in the speech bubbles is entertaining – “Am I a bird? Am I a flying saucer? No, I’m Altocumulus. I can rain, but it won’t reach the ground.”
The end of the story is back to fun when the children jump and splash into puddles. The final pages present a clear diagram of the Water Cycle. This is an excellent book for children aged 4 to 8 years. It entertains, educates and brings science alive. It also inspires creativity as children can perform the monologues and can think of their own subjects for personification and monologue. Bravo!
Brenda Marshall
Leisa Stewart-Sharpe, illus. Lucy Rose, pub. Wide Eyed Editions
Comeback Creatures is a fascinating exploration of animals that were once believed to be extinct but have since been rediscovered - a phenomenon known as “Lazarus taxa.” The most famous example being the coelacanth; a large, prehistoric-looking fish thought to have vanished along with the dinosaurs, until one was unexpectedly caught off the coast of South Africa in 1938, stunning scientists and sparking excitement around the world.
Structured around different habitats, the book first introduces the ecosystems themselves - from tropical rainforests to remote islands - describing the creatures that usually inhabit them. It then highlights the astonishing discoveries of animals once presumed lost. Among these are the tiny but fierce-looking horned marsupial frog found in Ecuador’s cloud forests, the elusive pygmy tarsiers of Indonesia and the strikingly named terror skunk that roams the New Caledonian Islands in the South Pacific. Each rediscovery is presented like a detective story, showing the perseverance of scientists and the crucial role played by indigenous communities who shared their local knowledge to help locate these creatures.
The author doesn’t just celebrate these scientific triumphs; they also weave in important conservation messages. Many of the “comeback creatures” remain highly endangered and their rediscovery serves as both a beacon of hope and a warning about the fragility of biodiversity. The book reminds readers that the natural world still holds mysteries but also that its survival depends on our continued care and attention.
Visually, Comeback Creatures is stunning. The large-format design allows the vibrant, detailed illustrations to fill each page, bringing these extraordinary animals and their habitats vividly to life. The combination of accessible text, captivating storytelling and beautiful artwork makes it ideal for readers aged 8–12, though adults will find it equally compelling. Ultimately, Comeback Creatures is an inspiring celebration of resilience in nature. It encourages curiosity, respect and wonder — while reminding us that rediscovery should not lead to complacency, as many of these animals could all too easily vanish again.
Barbara Band
Comeback Creatures: Discover the Wild Things Once Thought Extinct
Every Body Move!
Jenna Elyse Johnson, illus. Anaya Rao-Middleton, pub. Barefoot Books
Every Body Move! is a joyful celebration of movement, inclusion and the many ways our bodies can work and play. It vibrantly embraces physical ability in all its forms and encourages every child to join in the fun, no matter how they move. The book introduces a wide range of mobility tools from canes, crutches and walkers to wheelchairs, braces and prosthetic limbs. By presenting these aids as empowering rather than limiting, Johnson normalises disability and medical conditions, showing how they are simply part of the variety of human experience. Importantly, the book includes both permanent and temporary disabilities, such as injuries, reminding young readers that everyone may need a little help moving sometimes.
Johnson, who has cerebral palsy, brings an authentic and uplifting perspective and the lively, rhythmic text is packed with movement words - tapping, twirling, dashing and swooshing - making it almost impossible to sit still while reading. It’s an invitation to dance, wiggle and celebrate what your body can do. Audra Mariel’s illustrations are equally dynamic. The pages burst with colour and energy, featuring children of all backgrounds, abilities and assistive devices participating together in joyful, everyday scenes. Her artwork conveys movement and connection, reinforcing the message that inclusion is natural and fun.
As part of the Barefoot Books Singalong range, Every Body Move! also includes a QR code linking to a song and animation video. This multimedia element extends the engagement -children can read the story, listen to the song, watch the video and move along, appealing to different learning styles and encouraging active participation. Aimed at ages 3–6, this book is ideal for early years classrooms and home reading alike. It offers an accessible, positive introduction to disability awareness and inclusion, sparking conversations about empathy, difference and community. Every Body Move! isn’t just a story - it’s an experience that gets everyone up and moving, together.
Barbara Band
[No link]
The Experimenters: Luke and Ruby's Scientific Sleepover
Shane Bergin, illus. Sayani Mukherjee, pub. Little Island Books
This is a really fun factual nonfiction picture book that follows two children as they discover their grandparent’s old science notebooks, and with the help of their Nanny and Grandad they learn about the role science plays in our everyday life.
Follow Ruby and Luke on their half term holiday - staying with their grandparents, who both had been scientists - as they observe birds in the garden, explore floating and sinking, look at ways of making music, baking a sponge cake and more! The book has eight chapters, each with its own science experiment that can be done at home. Inserted into each chapter is the readers very own ‘how to’ science notebook. Filled with facts, hints and suggestions it encourages our young scientists to roll up their sleeves and give Luke and Ruby’s experiments a go.
Dr. Shane Bergin thinks that the reader should be learning too and pops up throughout to guide readers throughout with more facts, hints on how things work, and things to do after or while reading the chapters. We really enjoyed this book, it inspires children to find the science in normal everyday life - at home, in the garden etc. It would be great for the KS1 classroom and for children to use at home too.
Katy Ralph
Exploring the Universe: A Complete Guide to the Cosmos
Isabel Thomas, illus. Sara Gillingham, pub. Phaidon
Exploring the Universe is encyclopaedic. Presenting what we know, whilst explaining how we know anything about the Universe.
The book is brilliantly conceived as a journey, beginning with the view from Earth, before entering neighbouring Near Space and beyond, investigating our Solar System. We continue to journey to the stars – following in the inaugural steps of the space probe Voyager 1 – and finally reaching other galaxies and the limits of time-space itself. Our history of exploration is more recent. The invention and development of telescopes having happened since the 1600s, and only in the last century the evolution of the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik 1 on 4th October 1957.
Each step on this journey makes up one entry in the book. It’s a complicated story, not just about the discovery of objects and structures, but also space exploration, theories and developments in technology. So, whilst each entry follows a similar format, the format does vary. Typically, an entry is a double spread summarising scientific facts presenting a more detailed description of key information on one page and on the opposing page a gallery of illustrations, highlighting interesting facts to amaze the reader and their friends. The text is accessible and makes good use of book’s glossary, maintaining the flow of reading by highlighting words in bold that readers can look up. The illustrations are realistic, juxta positioning and superimposing over diagrams, supporting the text in communicating essential ideas and explanations. Overall, the formatting, illustration style and palette selection unifies each entry and the book as a whole.
Readers can choose to follow the narrative of the book or dip into whatever interests them most. Some of the text references other entries should a reader want to find out more and at the bottom of each page is a ‘wormhole,’ a fast track to another entry that might appeal to the curious reader.
In short, Exploring the Universe is a fantastic resource for KS2/ KS3. Presenting the story of the human endeavour behind space exploration alongside the discoveries that have been made out there.
Simon Barrett
Flush It Down: The Story of Sewers Through Time
Rob Flowers, pub. Cicada Books
A fascinating book which starts with a discussion on poo. Then we have a clear contents page and look at ways of managing waste in ancient history. We learn about the huge, vaulted, sewage tunnel - the Cloaca Maxima of Ancient Rome, visit the Early Middle Ages and discover The Lost Art of Gong Farming. We visit Medieval sewers round the world and look at diseases that spread because cities were filthy. We meet the inventors of the flush toilet and learn about the Broad Street Cholera outbreak of 1854.
I did not know that the brewery workers were not affected because they drank beer which contained boiled water so the bacteria that cause cholera had been killed off. In London the Great Stink of 1858 was a catalyst for Sir Joseph Bazalgette to build a massive sewer system that diverted water away from the city of London. It virtually eliminated cholera and the system is still in use today We see the magnificent Crossness pumping station. Then we move to 1878 when a passenger boat, Princess Alice, collided with a coal barge exactly where the city’s untreated sewage flowed into the river. About 650 people died from drowning or from the toxic water. This event triggered work on the treatment of sewage that continues today. A fascinating double page spread outlines the stage of the process. The book then looks at modern sewage systems around the world, including poor countries who can’t afford them. I particularly enjoyed the spread considering the future of sewage. The book finishes with a clear, comprehensive glossary.
Much of the success of the book is due to the brightly coloured artwork and the design of the pages. The content is serious and dotted with plenty of fun facts – In the 1500s London had only 16 public latrines for a population of about 40,000 people. In 2017 a fatberg the size of a house was found under the streets of East London. It took two months to break up and clean the pipes. There is plenty of humour, and sometimes the approach and the illustrations are whimsical. The book is entertaining and informative. I love the way it teaches us about history, geography, science and the environment. It is also thought-provoking as we still have plenty of challenges today regarding human waste.
Recommended for age 7 upwards.
Brenda Marshall
The Grand Hotel of Feelings Workbook
Lidia Brankovic, pub. Cicada Books
The Grand Hotel of Feelings is a cleverly conceived picture book about emotions, set in an imaginary hotel where feelings go to stay. The hotel manager takes the reader on a tour of the hotel, introducing the many different guest feelings which have checked in, welcoming them all and attending to their different needs during their stay. At this Hotel, “all feelings are welcome, no matter how big or small, strange or tricky they may be.” It’s all very Wes Anderson in concept and style but, with the simply worded explanations and colourful, child-friendly pencil sketches bringing each guest feeling to life, it really works. Not for nothing was this imaginative book a key title of the Empathy Lab Read for Empathy Collection 2025 and shortlisted for the 2024 English 4-11 Picture Book Awards.
This workbook then inspired the perfect companion volume to the original picture book. In it, the manager of the Hotel takes the reader on a journey to their own personal inner Grand Hotel through a series of drawing and writing activities to help with thinking and talking about feelings. After a brilliant visual introduction to each of the guests which regularly visit the reader’s own personal hotel - from anger and anxiety through to hope and joy - each double page spread explores a different guest feeling in more depth. The activities themselves are simple but imaginative and engaging, building into a special manager’s passport and certificate. There are tips for listening well, asking for help and reading other people's feelings as well as space for designing a personal emotional survival suitcase.
Children could use this brilliant workbook as an effective self-help tool for navigating their emotions, parents will also find it an invaluable tool for opening up conversations about emotional wellbeing, building confidence and resilience. Those responsible for mental wellbeing in schools and educational settings of all kinds will find it offers an effective framework for developing emotional vocabulary and empathy, as well as strategies for managing tough times. Validating and normalising every emotion, positive and negative, this workbook is the ideal tool for small group or 1-1 discussion for those needing extra support with articulating feelings or regulation. Although aimed at the 7-11 readership it would work just as well with teenagers. Definitely worth the investment.
Eileen Armstrong
Making It Up As You Go Along: A Children’s Guide to Writing Stories
Patricia Forde, illus. Mary Murphy, pub. Little Island Books
I’ll be honest and say that I had no idea from the title what to expect here, other than that this was a non-fiction title. So, as a lover of books and a wannabe writer myself, imagine my delight when a book arrived which is a guide to creating your very own stories.
This brilliantly illustrated guide to writing stories contains a forward by the Irish President Michael D. Higgins in which he reminds us of the importance of stories, of creativity, of finding our own voice, embracing and developing our creativity and of how much can be learnt and understood through reading. He reminds us that to read is to connect with others and I can honestly say that the foreword of this book alone had me reaching for a both a tissue and a pen! Then came the introduction in which the book’s author Patricia Forde, Laureate na nÓg (Irish Children’s Laureate), tells us of why she has written this book, and what we can expect of it. She divulges that there are twelve letters inside, written by twelve of Ireland’s writers for young children to further inspire us before encouraging us to ‘Dream big, write boldly, [and] unleash your inner wordsmith’ as we head to chapter 1.
Having started on such grand notes I had a slight worry that the book may then fail to deliver, to become yet another book of writing exercises that children are hesitant to fill in, but this book is unlike any writing guide I’ve read before! Chapter by chapter this book is crammed full of tips, inspiration, activities and prompts to get your creative juices flowing. The advice is clear and explains not just what we should do, but why failing to do something can make your story feel more basic or lacking in excitement than it could be. It shows us how to develop plots, characters and whole new worlds, all the while being accompanied by Mary Murphy’s wonderful illustrations.
This book is a treasure trove of writing advice from those in the know and therefore a must for any young aspiring writer! However, it is also a book you can so easily dip in and out of – start anywhere at any chapter and you’ll still benefit! Need a good beginning? Just head to chapter 5. Want to write something funny? Then chapter 8 is for you! So, as a teacher, I cannot think of a book more fitting to be on the shelf of every school library or classroom for that matter! But more than all this, this book reminds us of the importance of connecting with ourselves. At a time when the world is bursting with distractions, opinions and quick fixes, Forde invites us to slow down, look inward, dive deep into our own minds and imaginations, find our own voices and tell our own tales!
Thank you Patricia Forde and Mary Murphy for such an outstanding and inspiring book.
Tracey-Anne Corner
Omnibird: An Avian Investigator's Handbook
Giselle Clarkson, pub. Gecko Press
When you are awake, out of bed, and going about your day, do you notice the birds? It’s very likely that you do, and by the way, a word of warning, according to a little bird in this book, they see you, even when you’re still in bed! So, when you next see a bird, which I guarantee will be very soon, think about it. Remember it is extraordinary, remarkable even.
Now, with that knowledge in mind and an instruction to guide you let me explain more about Omnibird. It’s the title of this book and it is also a word which means ‘universal bird.’ When you become an avian detective, and I am fairly certain that if you are reading this review and considering buying the book then you are already halfway there, more will be revealed about the significance of this. Once you have this book in hand there is no going back either, it will be most disgruntled, after all it’s here to help you become an avian detective. That is someone who gathers intelligence on every single bird they see, even if they don’t quite realise it, and it is what this book sets out to help with. After all there are over 10,000 birds so it’s going to be impossible for you to know about them all! As you start to look at birds, using this book as your guide, you’ll begin to see how fascinating they are.
With strategies for investigating from a distance, close up and in awkward places, to the breakdown of the parts of a bird and things to look out for, this book covers every angle. Different species of birds from around the world, night birds and day birds, curious birds, everything is here for the curious reader and the birds, well they need to make sure they are putting on a good show for all the new curious eyes that will soon be looking at them.
Brilliantly compiled this book is filled with detailed illustrations, explanations and a very personal touch this book brings us a brand new form of bird watching, you’ll be hooked!
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Once in a Blue Moon: Nature’s Rarest Events and Best-Kept Secrets
​Emily Hawkins, illus. Vlad Stankovic, pub. Wide Eyed Editions
Nature is full of surprises, and this dazzling new natural history book takes the reader on a spectacular journey around the globe and even into space to uncover uncommon happenings, unusual and rarely-witnessed natural events, brilliantly-kept secrets and bizarre wonders which have left scientists baffled for centuries and fascinated people for millennia.
This world of wonders is clearly organised into five sections - Amazing Space, Weird Weather, Peculiar Plants, Unusual Animals and Unique Wild Places - and each superbly illustrated double page spread explores and explains a different natural phenomenon. From sun dogs, moonbows and giant snowballs, through bleeding trees and glowing fungi, exploding toads and pizzly bears to massive budgie murmuration’s, rainbow rivers and bubble-gum pools, this fabulously browsable book showcases an incredible collection of extraordinary natural wonders and offers up something new and astonishing on each re-read.
The chatty, direct writing style, thoughtful, clear explanations and beautifully detailed artwork make this a winning gift for a young nature enthusiast. It is the perfect book to dip in and out of and will be poured over repeatedly by those who hoover up fascinating facts and records. The bite-size captions provide just the right amount of information to intrigue rather than overwhelm young readers and will encourage further finding out, sparking curiosity for more nonfiction reading. Combining accessible science, geography, history and mythology, this is the perfect book for topic work of all kinds at KS2. The clear glossary and comprehensive index make it eminently useful in the classroom. Quirky, intriguing and visually stunning, Once in a Blue Moon is a must-buy.
Eileen Armstrong
Shoes! A Footwear Fashion Frolic
Anna Davies, illus. Daisy Wynter, pub. Cicada Books
I have a drawer filled with them, shoes that is! It seems the ideal way to store them, to be able to look at them and to be able to choose a pair to wear. I am not entirely sure what it is about shoes that I love so much but I think it is the way they make me feel special when I wear them. I love them bold and quirky. They fit my personality and they really jazz up outfits. Plus, they make a good talking point. It’s not only that. They are also incredibly interesting; they have a history and that appeals greatly to me (of course.)
Shoes have been worn since ancient times. I am never going to forget the moment I opened a draw in a museum basement and found a shoe that was once worn by an ancient Egyptian child. Neither will I forget visiting the V&A and seeing a clothing exhibition which included shoes from the French court. There is so much history to the shoe, to its creation and this magnificent book takes us through it all. From the very anatomy of the shoe to its heels and some of the classic styles, to shoes through the ages, their designers, the fashion trends they have been a part of. Sneakers are not forgotten, included in the third part of this book which closes with a consideration of what might come next for the ubiquitous shoe.
You might expect that a book whose subject is shoes would be filled with glossy pictures of said shoes but not this one. This one is fully illustrated which allows for some artistic licence but equally allows for the truth of each shoe to stand proud on its own merits. It is beautifully curated exuding the confidence that only shoes can whilst also encouraging every one of its readers to have a frolic, let loose and enjoy!
In the words of André Perugia, revolutionary shoe designer at the turn of the twentieth century, “A pair of shoes must be perfect as an equation and refined down to the last millimetre, like a piece of an engine.”
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Start with a Teapot: an Unexpected Guide to the Art of Drawing
Enric Lax, trans. Daniel Hahn, pub. Gecko Press
If you are considering this book because it sounds as though it is a comforting account of tea and the pots it is often served in I am not sorry to disappoint you. Why might that be, well this book is actually An Unexpected Guide to the Art of Drawing as the subtitle explains. As if that was not enough I can attest to the brilliance of this book. Drawing is as far from a skill as it possibly can be for me. This book has shown me I may not ever be an artist but even the most untalented and hapless can in fact draw. With detailed instructions and the patience that only a book can bestow!
With sections on animals, plants, body parts, human inventions and even some miscellaneous items, this part includes a puddle and a eukaryotic cell which in turn leads to an ear. Yes, I know it sounds completely ridiculous but I promise this is one of the very best introductions to drawing I have ever seen. It really has been thought through seriously, even if it may not look that way. Only a truly skilled artist would know that to explain how to draw an elephant you must start with a teapot and as soon as you see this on the page you’ll understand, you will also understand the progression from one drawing to another. To get to a horse, start with an elephant, remove tail trunk and tusks, slim it down, add a long nose, four hooves, two small ears, a mane and a tail. From here add two humps and a bend in the neck – you have a camel. Take away the body of the camel you have the beginnings of a horizon, some mountains and even a hat.
Completely ingenious and simply a few examples of what there is to find in this book. It’s given me the confidence to have a go, with guidance, at drawing, I hope it will do the same for you this year!
Louise Ellis-Barrett
What’s That Building? An Architectural Guessing Game
Rebecca Donnelly, illus. Jocelyn Cho, pub. Phaidon
What’s That Building? by Rebecca Donnelly is marketed as an “architectural guessing game,” and it more than lives up to that description. Aimed at children aged 5–8, this large-format interactive book offers a playful yet educational introduction to architecture and design, helping young readers explore how buildings are created to meet the needs of their users. Each of the ten featured buildings - from shopping centres and schools to hospitals and museums - is introduced through a series of clues and questions that invite children to guess what kind of building it might be. This question-and-answer structure makes the book highly engaging, encouraging curiosity and careful observation. The guessing element adds a sense of discovery, turning each page into a small puzzle that invites participation and discussion.
Once the mystery is revealed, readers are treated to a beautifully detailed cutaway double-page spread of the building in question with text boxes providing relevant information. Jocelyn Cho’s illustrations are intricate, filled with colour and activity. Every page is packed with things to spot and explore: a cat eating sushi, a dog driving a train, even a mermaid swimming in an aquarium tank. These whimsical details invite repeat readings as children notice new things each time and a hidden architect appears in every scene too!
What’s That Building? stands out because it moves beyond simply naming structures. It encourages children to consider why buildings are designed a certain way such as a hospital might need wide corridors, why a school has classrooms that open onto playgrounds or why a shopping centre includes public seating. In doing so, it helps children connect what they see around them to the human experiences those spaces support. Ideal for those who love books packed with visual detail, this title will particularly appeal to fans of Where’s Wally and Minecraft - both for its interactive search-and-find element and for the creative exploration of how spaces are built and used. A wonderful resource for classrooms, libraries, and homes, offering a rich blend of playfulness and learning that may even inspire future architects and urban designers.
Barbara Band