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Non-Fiction Book Reviews
The Animal Detectives: Solve Nature’s Wildest Mysteries
Moira Butterfield, illus. Merle Goll, pub. Buster Books
This book is fun. The pages are large, bright and colourful. The cover shows detectives Harriet Whiskerton and Vince Van Shell. They run the Animal Detective Agency and solve nature’s wildest mysteries.
The reader is presented with over 20 case files. We are shown the scene of each crime and there is speculation about what could have happened. Evidence is examined and a list of suspects is drawn up. The case is reconsidered sometimes with witness interviews and surveillance footage. and then, based on all the evidence, the guilty party is unmasked. I loved this approach. The reader is encouraged to participate like a detective and to consider aspects of the animal kingdom. It is interesting to see if you have chosen the guilty party.
This is a very clever way of helping us to learn about a variety of animals, their habitats and their habits. The locations are varied including southern Africa, a tropical beach, the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, a local meadow, an Indian national park and a forest in North America.
There is a lightness of touch and thread of humour that keeps the reader engaged. The illustrations are key part of the book’s appeal and the pages are well designed including cartoon illustrations, speech bubbles, notes and notices. I love the anteater, the bear, the lions and the hyenas, the hungry woodlice and the kangaroos.
I enjoyed learning about noises in the night; the whelk that killed the clam; and the flower mantis that disguises itself waiting to grab an unsuspecting visitor. I was fascinated by turkey vultures that poo on their feet. Because the runny poo contains good bacteria it kills bad bacteria, acting like hand sanitizer that humans use. I admired Ken Allen, the male Bornean orangutan, the “breakout legend” and was intrigued to find out how well equipped tigers are at creeping up on their prey. At the back of the book there are tips on How to Be a Detective including skills to practise and top tools. The final page is a clear glossary.
Engaging and entertaining, you can read it straight through but the case studies are ideal for dipping in to and sharing. An excellent information book for children aged 7+.
Brenda Marshall
Moesha Kellaway, pub. Rocket Bird Books
Anita is the ‘laziest ant in the world’, the only one in the colony who can’t find a job. Her sister, Chantal, shows her all the different jobs in and outside of the anthill and even takes her to the colony job fair. From nursery ants to guard ants and scout ants, all are incredibly busy with important jobs to do but still Anita can’t choose. Convinced the right job is out there somewhere, Anita sets off around the world to meet foreign ants and find out about their work and ant-ics, writing lots of letters back about her travels…and accidentally finding the perfect job as a correspond-ant!
This brilliantly clever, stunningly creative narrative shows just how amazing, and import-ant, ant work can be. Genuinely interesting information is seamlessly interwoven into the storyline, while Anita’s ant-travels around the world lend a global dimension, enabling the introduction of a huge range of ants from leaf cutter ants to fire ants and farmer ants, even exploding ants! The illustrations are completely child-friendly; bright, colourful and packed full of funny details to spot, bringing the ant characters to life even through to the irresistible endpapers. The colour-coded world map of ant populations and a Top Trumps style double-spread of ultimate ant soldiers, showcasing their special combat-ant powers, are perfectly-pitched. The ant puns and the clever twist at the end only add to the huge child appeal.
Ant Life is a winning and fun combination of fact and fiction. Bug-lovers will pore over it and return to it time and again, picking up brilli-ant new facts on each re-read. Teachers will welcome it as an import-ant addition to minibeasts topic boxes and to the KS1 Science curriculum. A surefire hit, this is the second in the Misunderstood Minibeasts series which started with Slug Life. Fingers crossed for many more!
Eileen Armstrong
Ant Life
The Big Book of Birthdays
Anna Lena Feunekes, pub. DK Books
The book I have with me is a colourful delight, much like a creatively decorated birthday scene - full of loved ones, stories from the past and gifts and delicacies for all. Birthdays are a source of joy across the globe and are celebrated in diverse ways. The Big Book of Birthdays by the brilliant illustrator and author Anna Lena Feunekes takes readers on a vibrant journey around the globe to witness natal day traditions from the past to the present.
Little readers will love discovering why birthdays include the preparation of uncut noodles in China, the lighting of diyas in India, the making of piñatas in Mexico; how Kagemand is prepared in Denmark, how Payesh or Kheer is relished in India and Bangladesh; and how novel little games are played in different regions of the world as a part of celebrations. Be it the British game of Pass the Parcel in which a gift is passed around in circles while music plays; or the energetic jumping game of Ghana called Ampe; or the unique Dutch game of Spijkerpoepen in which players lower a nail tied to their waist into a bottle by squatting.
Big, bright and full of colours, the author shares a lot for learning with new games, cultural festivities, songs, fun facts, community celebrations, rites of passage and zodiacs associated with birth years. This one can be read at home or shared with friends. The Big Book of Birthdays is a great conversation starter about the beauty and joy of our multicultural world honouring the many ways in which birthdays are celebrated. Birthdays are special and if you're celebrating yours this season, then wishing you a very Happy Birthday!
Ishika Tiwari
Big Feelings, Little Feelings: Get to know your emotions
Andrea Mills, illus. Luke Scriven, pub. DK
This brightly-coloured and beautifully-illustrated book is a brilliant introduction to a whole range of emotions, enabling children to recognise, understand, name and manage their feelings confidently.
Starting with an introduction to what feelings are and where they come from, a huge range of feelings are divided into categories, each colour-coded and brought to life through a cast of fun cartoon characters, each with their own individual personality. Anger stomps like a giant while excitement bounces like a kangaroo. From fiery red feelings through fizzy orange and sunny yellow to wobbly green, heavy blue and messy purple, no emotion is left unexplored or explained. A double page spread devoted to each feeling explains what causes the emotion, how it makes you feel on the inside and the outside and suggests practical ways to cope when you feel this way. Each colourful feeling is normalised and the whole builds into a spectacular ‘colour wheel of feelings.’ It’s an engaging and completely child-friendly approach which really works.
The direct address to the reader, the simple language and helpful prompts encourage children to open up and share how they feel while giving them the emotional vocabulary to do so effectively. The overriding message is reassuring, that however you’re feeling is okay.
Expert input from a qualified psychotherapist makes this the perfect book for parents and carers, both to develop their own understanding and to develop emotional intelligence and empathy in their children early. Educators will find this thoughtful, discussion-starting book invaluable for working with nurture groups or 1-1 and SEMH practitioners will wonder how they ever managed without it.
Although marketed for 5-9’s, this timely book is a must have for all primary school classrooms and libraries and would work equally well with those just starting secondary school. It brings emotions to life, gives children the language and the confidence to talk about how they feel and helps adults start those all-important conversations around mental health too. I can’t praise it highly enough.
Eileen Armstrong
​Communication: How We Connect and Exchange Information
Eduard Altarriba and Meli, pub. Button Books
We communicate all the time, even when we don’t intend to, talking and listening, gesturing, writing and reading that sends and receives all kinds of information. Perhaps we are most often attentive to our communication when we mis-communicate and there has been a misunderstanding of the message from sender to receiver.
The book begins with a section on verbal and non-verbal communication, exploring the richness and variety of human languages, before investigating the invention of writing and different writing systems: pictograms and ideograms that visually represent a specific thing or an idea; logograms, which use symbols to represent a whole word, and finally phonograms, representing a sound in speech. The book introduces ancient languages from Egyptian hieroglyphics, adapted by the peoples of Sinai to allow them to invent the alphabet, to more modern languages, such as Braille. It continues to explain how we communicate by letter as well as through art, design, fashion, colour and even flags as well as the printing press and twentieth century mass communication.
Typically, there is a page or double-page spread on each topic, brightly coloured and appealing with concise, clear explanations as well as illustrations helping to support the text. As might be expected, the book includes important discoveries in communication, such as the deciphering of the Rosetta Stone, advancements in technology, such as the telegraph and morse code as well as the long history of cryptography - the art of hiding messages and trying to crack the code! The book will therefore have a broad appeal. It is also an essential addition to any library for users interested in the history of communication or specific cultures or civilisations from across time and around the world.
Communication sparks curiosity in the diversity of communication, central to the development of all cultures and our modern, global world.
Simon Barrett
Forces of the Day
Samantha Lewis, illus. Hao Hao, pub. Red Shed
Forces of the Day written by Samantha Lewis and with engaging illustrations by Hao Hao is an accessible introduction to physics for children aged 7–10 years. Using a highly relatable approach, the book demonstrates that physics is all around us, shaping the everyday experiences we often take for granted.
Rather than presenting scientific concepts in isolation, the book takes readers through the events of a typical day. From waking up and opening your eyes to explore the science of light, to travelling to school and discovering Newton's laws of motion, each activity provides an opportunity to learn about the forces at work in the world around us. Readers will learn about sound while listening to their teacher, gravity and momentum through sports and play, electromagnetism during downtime, density at bath time, and even light years and gravity as they prepare for bed. The activities and scenarios are instantly familiar to children, making complex scientific ideas easy to understand and relevant to their own lives. Clear explanations are complemented by simple hands-on experiments, including spinning raw and cooked eggs and making ice cream, encouraging readers to explore physics through practical investigation.
Fun, informative and full of everyday science, Forces of the Day successfully shows that physics isn’t confined to laboratories and classrooms, it’s part of every moment of our daily lives. This is an excellent STEM title that will inspire curiosity and help young readers see the wonder in the ordinary. After all, every day really is a physics day!
Barbara Band
Homesick House: A Story About Leaving and Returning
Pauline Pete, pub. Little Gestalten
I remember a conversation in the staffroom. A colleague was disenchanted with school and was considering applying for another job. “I think you should,” my friend replied. “Sometimes you need to visit another school to appreciate what you have here.” This is the theme that Homesick House uses as its premise.
We start in a crowded street in the city. One of the houses has had enough, telling its neighbours - “I’ve got the leave this busy town, / The vibe here really gets me down!” Soon there are others joining in with the quest to find “someplace new.” They form a caravan and explore the world. The adventure that follows is absolutely fascinating to share in and quite unique too. We are treated to a view of new places around the world from the perspective of a group of houses after all! Fabulous illustrations capture the flavour of each new venue. We visit beautiful countries, experience, with the houses, snow, the Antarctic, the jungle, the woods and many more locations. Gradually each house connects with a creature they have met and they partner for more adventures. My favourites are the gorilla whose “house, now ringed by towering trees, /Thinks its new life is just the breeze! “and the giraffe who finds a home which enables her to “stay the night/ And still enjoy great top-floor views -? Even wearing her high-heeled shoes!” Eventually only the first house remains. Having seen what the world has to offer, it “ran right back to where it all began.” This house enjoyed its travels but recognised and appreciated that it, at least, belongs in the city.
The illustrations play a crucial part in the books appeal. There is much to discuss about the character of the different places, what each house is looking for and has found. The text reads well aloud and the rhyme helps the momentum of the story. On one level this is a simple story for young children, but the subject matter is profound and relevant to any age.
Highly recommended to readers of 5+.
Brenda Marshall
Nature is the Answer: A Toolkit for Eco-Positivity
Chris Packham, illus. Conor Nolan, pub. Dorling Kindersley
We, in India, are witnessing an onslaught of pseudo-developmental agendas against nature, even as indigenous communities come together to save lush forests from being cut down. Around the world, temperatures are rising, yet we are still not conscious enough of the crisis. In fact, Mother Earth has constantly been on my mind this Monsoon. So, Nature Is the Answer by naturalist and author - Chris Packham turned out to be the key I needed to take the first step of learning more. It is a thoughtful and well researched book that approaches the climate crisis with earnest hope.
The book begins with the author’s love letter to the environment which led him to become a conservationist. He states that his goal in writing this book is to spread ‘eco-positivity.’ The illustrations are well juxtaposed with the text in a mixture of poster and comic art forms, offering ease of comprehension. The book helps early readers to understand terms and phrases like ‘climate crisis,’ ‘fossil fuel,’ ‘evolution,’ ‘natural selection,’ ‘eco-anxiety,’ ‘eco-activism,’ and ‘eco-warrior’ in an application oriented manner as practical tools to help one understand the changes constantly affecting the flora and fauna. All these are explained through real-life examples of people from mixed nationalities as to how they resolved future issues with current action. For instance, John from the city of Kerala in India began planting trees from the age of 12, providing important habitats for birds and other species which also led to his collaboration with the United Nations. Similarly, Mya Rose - a Bangladeshi-British citizen helped identify more than 300 species of birds at the young age of seven. Another young girl Elizabeth, set up a Green Generation Initiative to raise awareness among youngsters in Kenya.
The book also awakens our ‘eco-senses’ by sharing great interactive activities such as mindful nature-based practices that encourage readers to reconnect with the natural world with curiosity, through social media hashtags. The author encourages rewards for positive environment friendly actions. Rather than placing the burden of solving the climate crisis on one person, the book encourages readers to contribute in whatever ways they can. Nature Is the Answer is highly recommended for kids aged 7 and above, teachers, parents, activists and anyone who wants to be a part of change driving the holistic health of nature and its inhabitants. I loved the action-based approach it takes when it comes to ecology, because that which affects nature, impacts us ultimately.
Ishika Tiwari
Next Stop: The Future!: A Journey Through Tomorrow’s Science
Tom Jackson, illus. Irma Ruggiero, pub. Buster Books
Next Stop: The Future! by Tom Jackson and Irma Ruggiero is an imaginative and engaging information book for children aged 8–12 years that explores the exciting possibilities of tomorrow's world. Through a fascinating journey into future science and technology, it encourages young readers to think about how innovation may shape the way we live.
The book is divided into four themed sections. Space explores missions to Mars and the future of space travel beyond our planet. Machines introduces readers to robots, artificial intelligence, quantum computers, smart clothing and life in the metaverse. Our World examines smart cities, high tech farming, greener technologies and ambitious ideas for protecting and restoring the environment. Finally, The Body section investigates life-saving robots, nanotechnology, advanced medical machines and even futuristic toilet technology. Each section concludes with bonus fact pages that add extra snippets of fascinating information Packed with colourful illustrations and playful details, such as a tiny alien peeking over Martian rocks or the suggestion that future plates could be made from edible potato skins, the book is visually appealing and highly accessible. Its light-hearted approach makes complex scientific concepts easy to understand and enjoyable to explore and there is a useful glossary of science words.
The topics covered will feel familiar to many young readers, particularly those who enjoy superhero stories and futuristic adventures, making it an excellent gateway to real-world science. With strong links to the STEM curriculum, Next Stop: The Future is both educational and entertaining, inspiring curiosity about the technologies and discoveries that may shape our future. Highly recommended read for children with inquisitive minds and an interest in science, technology and the world of tomorrow.
Barbara Band
The No-Brainer Brain Explainer
Crab Museum, illus. Bruno Valasse, pub. Quarto Kids
The No-Brainer Brain Explainer by Crab Museum and Bruno Valasse is a lively and entertaining information book that explores the fascinating world of brains with a generous helping of quirky humour. Aimed at readers aged 7–10 years, it combines scientific facts with jokey comments and illustrations to make neuroscience both accessible and fun.
Beginning with the basics of mammal brains, the book explains how signals travel from the brain to the body through neurons and their connections before exploring the senses of sight, touch, taste and sound. It also delves into topics such as muscle memory, dreaming, emotions and the many different ways that animals – and humans – can be smart. Readers are taken on an exciting journey through the animal kingdom, discovering how brains have evolved to help creatures survive and thrive. Along the way, they will learn about the largest brain in the world, belonging to the sperm whale, and one of the smallest, found in the tiny worm C. elegans. The book introduces remarkable examples of collective intelligence, such as leafcutter ants that work together like a single brain, and the extraordinary sea squirt, which digests its own brain as an adult. Perhaps the strangest brain of all belongs to the octopus, which has one central brain and eight additional mini-brains, one for each arm so they can work independently. The final chapter looks at human intelligence, celebrating creativity, collaboration and the importance of working together to invent and solve problems.
Throughout, the book's energetic and humorous approach ensures that even complex scientific ideas are easy to understand and enjoyable to explore. Packed with surprising facts and plenty of personality, The No-Brainer Brain Explainer is an engaging STEM title that will delight curious minds and inspire readers to discover just how amazing brains can be.
Barbara Band
Scream If You Wanna Go Faster: The History and Science of Amusement Parks
Peter Morris, illus. Roozeboos, pub. Cicada Books
Summer is certainly a great time to explore amusement parks, and this book will add an extra layer of interest to any trip. Examining the development of the games and entertainment on offer in these settings, the author takes readers from the rise of the charter fairs, through the establishment of pleasure gardens—with the Tivoli Gardens being a surviving example—to the leap made during the Victorian era, when the introduction of steam-powered machinery made it possible to create new and more exciting rides. Several of these attractions are explored in greater detail, particularly the roller coaster.
A whole chapter is dedicated to Disneyland, and the book also offers a glimpse into the future of amusement park rides. It concludes with a glossary of scientific terms and, indeed, a substantial portion of the content is devoted to the science behind these machines.
The balance between text and illustration is excellent. The illustrations are quirky, and this reader certainly enjoyed examining the details of the drawings. Personally, I found the page layouts featuring boxed information or clear headings particularly appealing, and the use of a more rounded font better suited to the book's overall visual style. This is, of course, a matter of individual taste.
Overall, the book will engage young independent readers both through the explanations and the illustrations. It will also offer middle-grade readers a fun read, full of fascinating facts that will make their next visit to an amusement park even more entertaining.
Laura Brill
The Shipwreck Atlas: Revealing the mysteries surrounding more than 50 underwater wrecks
Jo Arnold, illus. Philip Harris, pub. Wide Eyed Editions
A most attractive book with large pages. Opening with a map of the world where different colours are used for the continents, there is a welcome from Dr Beatrix Profundo, a marine archaeologist, who shares with us the notebook she uses on her underwater investigations. She reminds us that the wrecks we will meet are regarded as crime scenes or graves, and many have “unthinkable, murky pasts.”
Then we are introduced to the equipment needed for marine archaeology. There follows consideration of the terms used. For example, shipwreck, jetsam and derelict. I enjoyed the spreads investigating why some ships break up when others are well-preserved, and the map showing the most dangerous areas in the world for shipwrecks. Then come the individual wrecks. Some are well-known - the Mary Rose, Titanic and Torry Canyon, others were new to me like the SS Sultana, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror which were trapped in ice before sinking in Arctic Waters in 1848, and the dozens of ships that have suffered off the treacherous Skeleton Coast of Namibia. I particularly enjoyed learning about HMS Birkenhead and discovering the origins of “women and children first.”
The book covers over 50 shipwrecks, they can be emotive and Jo Arnold is excellent at combining information and a sensitivity to the people who suffered. Each spread is beautifully presented with attractive artwork including illustrations and maps. Information is presented in accessible bite-sized chunks with thought-provoking sections on topics including slavery, piracy and looting and interesting references to artefacts. We’re reminded that 80% of our oceans are unexplored, unmapped, and conceal many more shipwrecks. The section on Ghost Ships and Legends is fascinating, including 2000 BCE to 2022 timeline.
The ‘Farewell’ page is perfectly judged, speculating on what readers might be inspired to explore further, and reminding us that exploring wrecks should be done by professionals. I loved the mention of a current “top secret” dive and hope we’ll learn about it one day. Ideal for browsing and research this is a captivating read for anyone aged 7+ interested in history, science, maritime archaeology, transport, romance, mystery, disaster and adventure.
Brenda Marshall
This Is What A Slug Does
Mimi May, illus. Aniek Bartels, pub. Post Wave Children’s Books
Did you know slugs, the creatures that many gardeners often complain about, are actually quite fascinating and they are neither an insect nor a bug but in fact a mollusc. Did you know that inside this book there is a Slug, who goes by the name of Simon, waiting to meet you and share his day with you? Ready to meet him…?
Simon the slug is very, very slow. So slow is Simon he would lose any race he was in and if a bird were after him… Well, there is more to learn about that, first discover all the parts of Simon. He has a tail, yes slugs have tails. He also has a foot helping him to move and then there are his tentacles, they have eyes and the equivalent of a nose! The next fact you will likely know, you will have seen it. Simon leaves a trail of slime. But do you know why? It’s to help him slide, stick and, perhaps most importantly, to ensure he tastes disgusting which means birds are unlikely to eat him. When Simon meets another slug we discover it could be a Susan or a Steve, Slugs don’t mind which and after they’ve wiggled their tentacles at each other to tell the other they like one another’s slime, they get romantic. What happens next is something they don’t really have much of an explanation for but it’s part of Simon’s day so we learn about it too.
I was surprised by how much a slug can do, how they have been created by nature to survive pretty much anything, well maybe not an unhappy gardener but maybe, after reading and learning all about Simon, that will change.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
The World’s Last Mammoth and Other Missing Marvels
Mike Barfield, illus. Franziska Höllbacher, pub. Weldon Owen Children’s Books
What an entertaining book this is. Its eight chapters are packed with curious facts and stories, these told through one-page cartoons. The topics range from the Seven Wonders to transport, touching on lost places and myths along the way. Humorous and informative, the text is organised into bite-sized sections, each with its own catchy heading. The colour-blocking style lends sharpness to the illustrations, and the illustrator captures the tone of the content well.
Each chapter also includes a double-page spread devoted to a particular character. Some are historical figures, such as Alexander the Great and Amelia Earhart, while others loom large in the collective imagination, like Bigfoot. The book includes facts and figures from both the past and the present. Although this will inevitably cause some sections to date relatively quickly, it also provides the kind of fascinating trivia that readers will enjoy discovering and sharing.
Stimulating to the very end, the book concludes with a quiz to test readers' recollection of the topics covered—answers are provided—as well as an invitation to create their own Seven Wonders. A worthy addition to any classroom library or personal collection.
Laura Brill