University of Cambridge: Build Your Own Solar System

Beautifully presented and packed with information, ‘Build Your Own Solar System’ is another ingenious book from Nosy Crow which engages children through both reading and activity.

Starting with a section entitled ‘What is the Solar System?’, the book offers clear sections of carefully explained text which deepen the reader’s knowledge and understanding of the different planets and features which make up our solar system. Dramatic illustrations illuminate every page, drawing interest and helping to guide the reader to different sections.

In addition to information about the planets, links are made to the gods and goddesses from mythology which gave them their names. Whilst many readers might be familiar with the fact that Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, some might be surprised to learn that the tallest active volcano on Venus is named after Ma’at, the Egyptian goddess of balance, truth and justice. The role of key figures in the world of astronomy such as Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi and Galileo are also mentioned, encouraging those interested to find out more.

Perfect for enriching the Y5 Science programme of study of ‘Earth and Space’, the book not only offers a wealth of facts about our solar system, but allows children to create a model of each using the press outs in the end section and arranging them in order, reinforcing the learning from the text. There is a QR code to scan which offers step-by-step ‘how to’ videos for support if needed.

University of Cambridge: Build Your Own Solar System

Lauren Fairgrieve, illustrated by Anja Susanj

Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1805132776

You can read my review of ‘Birds of a Feather’ also written by Lauren Fairgrieve here.

Nature Heroes

‘Nature Heroes’ is a collection of twenty biographies of dedicated people who are working with nature to save the world. It is an inspiring read which offers plenty to think about and plenty to discuss.

Some of those included are sure to be familiar to children. Chris Packham, for example, is a well-known name, but readers are sure to be amazed to learn more about this famous presenter and how his passion for wild animals has led him to where he is today. Another name which might be quickly recognised is wildlife cameraman, Hamza Yassin, who won Strictly Come Dancing.

Other biographies may well introduce readers to the story of someone they are less familiar with. I loved Ron Finley’s story which may well inspire others to create urban gardens and become Gangsta Gardeners! Other stories are equally fascinating and many are deeply poignant. The plight of pangolins and Thai Van Nguyen’s mission to save them is one such! Each biography allows the reader to discover more about the lives and work of those championing wildlife in different ways, but each with passion and determination which is admirable and inspiring.

Although packed with information, each biography is short enough to be used for a class story time or guided reading session, sure to generate plenty of discussion and stimulate lots of thinking whilst enriching the curriculum. More ‘Nature Heroes’ are referred to in the author’s conclusion, offering plenty of possibilities for research and hopefully, encouraging children to get involved and find out more about any nature projects on their own doorsteps, following their curiosity and seeing where it leads as Peggy Eby (one of the subjects of the book) thinks everyone should!

Nature Heroes

Lily Dyu, illustrated by Jackie Lay

Nosy Crow with the University of Cambridge ISBN: 978-1805136408

Secrets of Bees

Beautifully presented, ‘Secrets of Bees’ is both informative and engaging. The role of bees and their importance is celebrated throughout the book, leaving readers with a deeper understanding of, and respect for, the brilliant creatures.

Fabulous illustrations accompany the text, visually supporting the information. A labelled diagram of a bee, for example, contributes to understanding its features, whilst other snippets of information are attractively presented alongside. These bite sized sections of text make the information easy to absorb and a comprehensive glossary at the end of the book supports understanding of the ‘technical’ vocabulary used throughout.

Every page celebrates the importance of these tiny creatures, championing the role they play and encouraging readers to value their contributions and do everything they can to help them in return from providing nest sites to planting more flowers. The book acknowledges that bees sting and it hurts when they do, explaining that this is their way of defending themselves and that they would much prefer to be left alone.

A fascinating read, ‘Secrets of Bees’ would make an excellent addition to any school or class library, enriching the curriculum and sparking interest in these precious creatures.

Secrets of Bees

Ben Hoare, illustrated by Nina Chakrabarti

Nosy Crow and Cambridge University ISBN: 978-1805133179

University of Cambridge: There's No Such Thing as a Silly Question

One of my favourite phrases as a teacher (and as a mum!) is always ‘there’s no such thing as a silly question’ which obviously led to children asking me some very weird and wonderful things! However, it is through asking those questions that curiosity is both satisfied and piqued, making ‘There’s No Such Thing as a Silly Question’ a brilliant book for both home and school!

Covering a wide range of subjects, each brilliantly illustrated spread presents the information in a question-and-answer format, offering readers clear explanations, written in a light-hearted, humorous style. There are questions here which you didn’t know you needed to know the answer to until you read them! Can spiders run out of web? Why don’t people snore when they are awake? What happens inside a black hole?

A very attractive and accessible book, this is perfect for dipping in and out of, but it is impossible not to spot a question which you just have to read the answer for! Although a supposed to be a book for children, ‘There’s No Such Thing as a Silly Question’ is sure to quickly become a family favourite, to be returned to again and again.

University of Cambridge: There's No Such Thing as a Silly Question

 Mike Rampton & Guilherme Karsten 

Nosy Crow ISBN:  978-1839947391

Beasts from the Deep

Beautifully presented, ‘Beasts from the Deep’ offers a fascinating and absorbing look at the mysterious creatures which inhabit the depths of the ocean.

The introduction carefully explains that there is much that is unknown about the deep sea, ‘a vast environment that despite near-freezing temperatures, crushing water pressure and total darkness’ is home to many creatures which have adapted to live there. From here, the author goes on to explain the ocean’s layers from the sunlight zone through the Twilight, Midnight and Abyssal Zones down to the Hadal Zone. The illustration here is quite something with the sparsely populated, inky-black Hadal Zone still managing to hint at the mysteries it might hold!

Starting with the Twilight Zone, the book then explores each layer in more detail, looking at some of the creatures which live there and how they have adapted to survive in their environment, making it a fascinating text to support the Y6 work on evolution and inheritance in science. The fangtooth, for example, which inhabits the Midnight Zone, has evolved to have a large mouth lined with really long teeth whilst Atolla jellyfish are perfectly adapted to live at this level.

On each page, the text is presented in small chunks, offering plenty of information, using subject specific vocabulary (a comprehensive glossary is included at the end of the book), encouraging the reader to develop their understanding of this fascinating environment and the ‘beasts’ which live there. I learned so much from reading this!

Beasts from the Deep

Matt Ralphs, illustrated by Kaley McKean

Nosy Crow with the University of Cambridge ISBN: 978-1839943348

Published 6th June

Originally reviewed for Reading Zone.