Autumn 2024
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Non-Fiction Book Reviews
Amazing Animals with Astonishing Jobs
Simon Philip, illus. Adam Ming, pub. Simon & Schuster
This fun to read illustrated non-fiction picture book is a fascinating and entertaining guide to the world of working animals, full of intriguing facts that will blow your mind!
Is your doctor a donkey? Is your postman a platypus? Probably not but wouldn’t that be the epitome of cool! Although it may seem absurd to suggest such a thing, there are many animals that do have jobs they perform on a daily basis. In this epic and whirlwind journey around the globe you will meet some incredible animals and learn all about the incredible jobs they do. From bomb-sniffing bees to detector dolphins and caddy llamas to New York City bodega cats, these animals are doing extraordinary things on land and at sea, in city and town to ensure the safety and security of other animals and people.
There are so many things that readers will learn in this brilliant book that I want to share just a few with you, to give you a flavour of how good it is. You can look at the role that therapy animals play in helping people feel calmer in airports, including LiLou the superstar therapy pig of San Fransisco. Or learn how llamas can aid golfers on their journey around the course and no, they don’t eat the golf balls or ever leave a mess behind! And then there are the bees which can be trained in order to detect illnesses in people. There is a whole lot more but hopefully this gives you a sense of the wow factor this book delivers.
There is no doubt that the witty, fact-filled text written by Simon Philips pairs perfectly with Adam Ming's captivating contemporary art to create an ideal gift for anyone, of any age who loves animals, loves the weird and wonderful and learning something new about our amazing animal friends.
Katy Ralph
An Illustrated History of Urban Legends
Adam Allsuch Boardman, pub. Flying Eye Books
Another attractive and intriguing offering from Flying Eye Books, An Illustrated History of Urban Legends is bound to include at least one story that each reader who encounters this book and picks has, at some point been in contact with or heard – after all many urban myths are shared by word of mouth and they are certainly not a new concept.
This attractively presented and illustrated hardback contains an assortment of unexplained mysteries. Readers will find everything from the ancient and well-known tale of the Yeti to the more modern stories of places that may exist somewhere, like the invisible city of Biringan, or are not meant to exist at all and are said to be a myth, like Bielefeld in Germany. Prepare yourself for everything from the completely believable to the fantastical and yet true!
Urban Legends is divided into five sections, each corresponding to an historical era and, within those, further subdivisions gather tales with a similar topic. Some are intriguing, some absurd, some nearly plausible; all of them highlight the power of storytelling. What is also fascinating here is the development of the style in which these tales are told. The advent of technology, far from debunking some of the myths, has actually provided a new tool which has revamped some old ones and created new ones and ensured far-reaching spread, fake news being the latest development.
Urban Legends will entertain and hopefully, while doing that, encourage readers to think critically about stories but about all manner of information shared. It will also introduce the terminology surrounding the sharing of stories. A fascinating rabbit hole to fall into.
Laura Brill
Blue Heart
Nicola Davies, pub. Graffeg
Blue. Not of the sky overhead, or the little swimming pool, but the magnanimous blue of the ocean with its most awe-inspiring creature - the Blue Whale. I've never seen a live whale but I experienced it when I read the great chase of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Nicola Davies’ Blue Heart reminded me of the mysterious blue whale. An immersive book, a journey into the sea and the lives of blue whales. The author writes about her book that - “It is a celebration in pictures and poems of some of the species of whales I’ve seen and spent time with. It is a very personal collection, as although it reflects some of the biology of these wondrous creatures, it is mostly about my experiences of them, and the deep and lasting impression they have made on me. I suppose you could say it’s an extended love letter.”
The reader is submerged, taken immediately under the ocean through the book’s tranquil watercolour art and learns about the anatomy of all species of whale. Each description is preceded by a beautiful depiction of the species. We get to know how wonderful these whales are, biologically, physically and in their natural environments. It's not all fact based though, Nicola includes a number of allied poems which define her feelings of awe and wonder on her encounter with the whale:
“From the start I could quote the stats.
A body as long as three school buses, The slow…
wait for it
wait for it
wait for it
BEAT
of a heart the size of a small car,
an aorta you could post a toddler down.
But I did not really understand that humongous, huge, enormous, vast don’t work for creatures more like landscape than like living thing.”
Blue Heart will keep you immersed under those deep ocean waters, the home of the great whales, for a long time. It's a magnificent read for adults and children, catering to both, with explanatory paragraphs on the scientific expression of a whale and the poetic articulation which seeks to delineate something greater than words. Whales as a wave of emotion, as something sublime. A five-star read for a science and biodiversity enthusiast and a great book for kids, awakening their inquisitive natures.
Ishika Tiwari
Garland of Lights: A Diwali Story
Chitra Soundar, illus. Amberin Huq, pub. Bloomsbury Children's Books
The heart-warming festival filled with swirly Jalebis, Sweet Laddus, lots of lights and Rangolis is coming and I have just the right book to make it even more vibrant for kids: Garland of Lights. A beautiful children's book which narrates the joy of the Hindu festival Diwali, on the night of the first new moon of October or November. It is also known as Deepawali which means ‘a row of diyas or lights.’ For Hindu’s the festival marks the return of Lord ShriRam with the Goddess Sita and his younger brother Lakshmana to his birthplace Ayodhya after a 14 year exile following his defeat of the arrogant King Ravana.
The book can be read with ease by children aged 3-6. It's colourful; each page illustrated from edge to edge with scenes from a Diwali day. We see a traditional Hindu family - parents, children and grandparents cleaning and decorating the house for the night of lamps. This is when the Goddess of health, wealth and prosperity – Lakshmi - descends and visits the clean, adorned and inviting homes of those who have love and respect in their hearts. It's a five-day long festival! The author lists the number of deepaks or diyas to be lit during the first day of Diwali by numbering from 1 to 13. The first one is lit for the Goddess of Wealth, the second to thank the sun and moon, the third to let go of spats and fights, and so on. The accompanying verses highlight, with joy and gratitude the significance of Diwali as a festival of greater good. Chitra’s words and Amberin’s adorable illustrations make this an enjoyable read as she writes the poems-
“Five lamps to mark the five days of cheer. We share mithai this time of the year. Six lamps brighten the rangoli art. We sing the hymns that we know by heart. Seven lamps to greet friends with a smile. Those nearby and friends gone a while.”
Each verse is additionally decorated with a cozy and inviting illustration! There's the warm yellow of a lamp-lit night, and a sparkling firecracker; there’s the vibrance of Rangoli on the floor; and there's the festive atmosphere of togetherness, all beautifully presented. This book is a wonderful read, definitely a five-star book for its message of harmony, celebration, thanks and plenty of detail for readers about the festival of Diwali.
Ishika Tiwari
The History of Information
Chris Haughton, pub. DK
With the modern world being so full of information it can sometimes be difficult to know where to turn, how to find something, feel overwhelmed by it all. I have been listening to a fabulous story lately, the type where the main character engages with the reader. It begins in the 1990s when all the tech we have now was just a dream. He mentions phones with cords and the dial up sounds for the internet, reminding younger readers that we haven’t always had everything at our fingertips as we do now!
Chris Haughton embraces this concept too in his The History of Information. He takes us on a fascinating journey of discovery and you will probably find that you find new information, learn out about new things along the way as you read. That is what information is all about ultimately. It informs us and no-one has all the information so why not find a copy of this book and continue your learning journey?
Are we really in the midst of a technological revolution or has it been happening for years, decades? Yes, technology is advancing, information is now at our fingertips as it has never been before but then that was also the case when the first libraries opened, when the first news programme was broadcast and so on. Humanity is in a constant revolution where technology and information are concerned. To know how this could affect our future we need to look at the ways in which it impacted out past and that is exactly what Chris Haughton does. He takes us back, across history, showing us how we have always been looking for information, looking for ways to make it easier to access and that we continue to do so. The first known city was in Sumeria. Uruk was in what is now Iraq and by 3000 BCE it was the largest city in the world. They needed to do some accounting to manage their population, to do that they needed to know how to write… Writing was beginning its long and varied life over 3000 years ago, information was in its infancy.
Now we have Google and its intelligent ads matching people’s searching habits with their buying habits. Everything is driven by information; it has revolutionised over thousands of years and is still going. An utterly fascinating history book with plenty of thoughtful discussion about the past, present and future of information.
Louise Ellis-Barrett
How to Know a Crow: The Biography of a Brainy Bird
Candace Savage, illus. Rachel Hudson, pub. Greystone Kids
Oki, an American crow, is the subject of this book. Her name means ‘hello’ according to the Blackfeet Indians, living in the Great Plains of Montana and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The author uses the fictitious life history of Oki the crow to present this non-fiction picturebook. Three biologists contributed the factual content and Candace provided the story, of which she says - if this book were a cake, the recipe would read: Take 4 cups of fact and 1 cup of fantasy, blend well and bake.
Written to promote scientific curiosity in children, it encourages young people to take pleasure in the countryside. From there to enjoy studying natural history or a related subject by joining a club or interest group. ‘Bird brain’, is a phrase frequently banded about without much appreciation of just how clever some birds can be. Fascinating facts include - a crow’s brain is smaller than a walnut, but it is packed with 1,500,000,000 neurons which is as many as some monkeys, five times as many as pigeons. They can identify individual people and distinguish friend from foe. Known individuals are safe but that same known individual plus a ladder is not. Surprised, read on?
The story starts with Oki hatching and being cared for by her extended crow family. Some are more helpful than others, as crows have character traits too. After a while a team of scientists arrive to weigh and measure the ‘kids,’ as they are called. They draw samples of blood, fit them with identifying bands and tags. All quick and painless. But a cacophony of cawing, sends the intruders away in no doubt that they are not welcome. Bird banding and its usefulness to scientific research is one of the many aspects touched upon. Along with the process of ‘budding.’ Before you know it Oki has her own nest and family. Fascinating facts include crow funerals and being distant relatives of the dinosaurs. Just look at their feet.
An inspiring book for potential biologists or young readers who want a lovely story about crows, beautifully illustrated and equally at home in a school or home.
Elizabeth Negus
Open Wide!: Jaw-dropping mouths of the animal world
Letizia Diamante, illus. Ed J. Brown, pub. What on Earth!
Well, this is delightful. Here’s your dream introduction to animal mouths, from silk moths to bowhead whales. It’s genuinely everything you want to see in a fun, thorough zoology book. Perfect for libraries, it’s visually exciting, catching the attention of casual readers, moreover thrilling animal lovers. As an adult who reads with children, I want this book in my bag. As a child who obsessed over the natural world, it would’ve filled me with joy, I wish I could send it back in time to myself.
Start at the art, as it’s that which demands your time. Simplified reality as is quite typical currently, honestly it’s a bit crude but pleasingly charmingly so, excelling in composition, colour and energy. There’s nothing polite about it, it clutches your shirt and shouts in your face. It’s vivid and feels like a child could have, would have created it, with its roaring, pouncing, swooping, munching glory. I love it, you will too, see the intense Rousseau-esque tiger on page 11. Scary. The words are divided thematically, sections on parts of mouths and sections on uses thereof. There’s much more here than you might imagine it possible to say, the text is deep, wide and has the same breathless verve as the art, the two are well matched. Beaver teeth contain iron! Cichlid fish wrestle using their lips! So, so, so very much to learn! Very smoothly and engagingly told.
It is possibly a little uneven, some groups of animals getting more of the spotlight than others, but this is a 60-page book (with a glossary, an index, a further reading list), so I don’t feel short-changed by the absence of the frankly fascinating earthworm mouth in favour of being able to tell the difference between falcons and hawks based on their beak dentition. I love knowing that!
On tone, Years 3 to 5; on accessibility certainly younger; on factual content maybe Year 8? In the animal book category, I can’t think when I last had this much fun. In any category, it’s a joyous, boisterous, fascinating read. Very highly recommended.
Dmytro Bojaniwskyj
Seriously HAPPY: 10 Life-changing Philosophy Lessons from Stoicism to Zen to Supercharge Your Mindset
Ben Aldridge, illus. Michelle Brackenborough, pub. Quarto Books
Seriously HAPPY is a fantastic book for teaching readers about philosophy in a way that makes it easy to understand. Philosophy can be quite a heavy topic with a lot of terminology and challenging thinking behind it. Author Ben Aldridge discovered philosophy as a young man and found it helped him restore contentment, balance and peace to his otherwise tumultuous life – teens I am sure you know how this feels. He uses his knowledge of that philosophy and shares over twenty practical challenges all of which are rooted in it, which have helped him and hopefully will do the same for you.
Every challenge is based on a philosophical idea – shame attacking for example helps readers to face fears and appreciate even the smallest things in life. There are also techniques for meditation and ancient arts to master. As a book aimed specifically at teens it is formatted in an ideal way to ensure it isn’t too text heavy. Ben Aldridge’s text is accompanied by Michelle Brackenborough’s illustrations. There are images, quotes and challenges to challenge further thinking and to encourage readers to explore philosophy in their own way.
Introducing some well-known philosophers along with some I wasn’t familiar with, it makes for a truly fascinating read. I think teens will appreciate the knowledge and lessons they will gain from reading this. At the back of the book is a handy recommended reading list for readers to continue exploring this fascinating topic.
Erin Hamilton
The Super Skeleton
Dr Roopa Farooki, illus. Viola Wang, pub. Walker Books
Scientific books about the human body often focus on muscles, senses or the important organs such as the brain or the heart, but not this one! The Super Skeleton focuses on two main things: how the skeleton works and how best to look after your own. This book journeys the reader from learning what the skeleton is and what bones are made from, all the way through to looking at the different types of bones to be found in the human body. With two main sections making up the human skeleton, the central skeleton and the appendages, we quickly see it is essential to understand how these work together to allow movement as well as supporting muscle groups.
Doctor Roopa Farooki shares her knowledge of the skeleton in a way that feels like story-telling whilst remaining informative and factual. Did you know, for example, that babies have more bones in their bodies than adults do? Also included in this book are some useful tips for how to look after your bones and keep them strong; steps that can be as basic as drinking plenty of water and going outside each day. Well-written and accessible for young readers The Super Skeleton offers a good balance between text and illustrations. Keywords are highlighted in bold text so that children can clearly see these on the page. Viola Wang’s illustrations are highly engaging and help the reader to understand the learning that is presented on each double-page. For example, the diagrams showing types of joints make it easy to see how each type works and shows where each type can be found in the skeleton.
This is an enjoyable, informative read which will extend any child’s understanding of the human skeleton and how to look after their body.
Tom Joy
The Ultimate Guide to Money
Emmanuel Asuquo, illus. Selom Sunu, pub. Penguin Random House Children’s
An engaging and interactive financial guide aimed at 10 – 13 years, The Ultimate Guide to Money aims to make the world of money management fun and accessible. It covers topics such as saving, investing in stocks and property, and even cryptocurrencies.
The book’s approach is to use an imaginative challenge, asking readers to turn £1 into £1 million by looking at various financial decisions, with the choices explained along the way. This is accompanied by introductions to concepts such as risk-taking and entrepreneurship. Money matters are often mystifying to young people and this book helps to explain them alongside practical advice and relatable case studies. The text is broken up into bite-sized manageable chunks with good use of black and white illustrations, bold text and sub-headings. I particularly liked the way the book highlights the importance of using wealth for positive social impact. This adds an ethical perspective and encourages readers to give back to their communities, not only in monetary offerings but also by volunteering their time.
Whilst there is a glossary there is no index and the contents page does not make it clear what will be found in each chapter. This makes it difficult to determine whether the book contains the specific information a reader may be interested in. However, those who are familiar with shows such as Dragon’s Den are likely to enjoy reading it. The book could be useful as a resource for lessons on citizenship or personal finance, and any would-be millionaires are likely to borrow it from the school library. I suspect a few adults may also learn something useful from this book too.
Barbara Band
Why Your Parents Are Hung-Up on Your Phone and What To Do About It
Dean Burnett, illus. Katie Abey, pub. Penguin Random House Children’s
I am sure we can all imagine, and some probably know first-hand, that the use of mobile phones is one of the most common causes of arguments between children and their parents/carers. It is certainly a topic that comes up frequently in educational settings with the news often reporting of those schools where they have been banned completely.
Regardless of how you feel about mobile phones and mobile technologies, they are now an integral part of society and are unlikely to go away. That makes it more important than ever that we all learn how to use them responsibly. Why Your Parents Are Hung-Up on Your Phone has been written by neuroscientist, Dean Burnett and explores the ongoing tension around mobile phone use, addressing the question of whether these worries are justified. It gives readers both sides of the debate, acknowledges that some of the parent/carer concerns are justified and offers young readers tools to better understand why people are anxious about their phone use. Based on scientific evidence, the text is both approachable and accessible providing a balanced view without preaching to the reader. Additionally, it addresses topics such as phone addiction, the impact of phones on mental health and the effects of excessive screen time.
There are practical tips for helping families reduce conflict and improve communication around phone use and some very useful sections on misinformation and the trustworthiness of online content. The black and white illustrations by Katie Abey are engaging and add to the visual impact of the text, which is designed to appeal to its intended audience of readers aged 10–13, via the use of bold text, highlighted words and comments. A serious but also amusing book which simplifies complex ideas into an engaging and informative text Why Your Parents Are Hung-Up on Your Phone is certain to be and would make a useful addition in school libraries everywhere, perhaps especially in schools which have banned phones.
Barbara Band
