Following the success of Creaturepedia, Plantopedia is a glorious introduction to 600 fascinating plants. As with the previous book, Plantopedia uses a creative approach, grouping bite-sized nuggets of information and an aesthetically pleasing layout. In the historical section we learn that pyramid builders were paid partly in onions and that the red sap of the Dragon Tree was used as ink in Roman times. In a section titled ‘The Giants’ we discover the 15-metre-high Elephant Cactus and learn that the Kapok tree grows to the height of a 20 foot story building. This book is great for dipping into.


For independent summer reading James Campbell’s The Funny Life of Pets will provide hours of amusement. The non-linear format works in a similar way to a ‘create your own adventure story’. For instance, dipping into page 104 describes the habit that some dogs have of rubbing their bottom on the ground (no doubt causing hilarity). To find an explanation, the reader is directed to page 54 and from there they can follow several choices including information about dogs with worms on page 68. If gross humour is your bag, this has a happy balance of grossness and fun facts.


Andy Seed’s Wild Facts about Nature is another good book to keep children entertained this summer. This miscellany of easily- digestible information, is a good choice if you want to learn how to say cat in 14 languages or otter in 15 languages (I’m hoping to impress a few friends with my new linguistic competence).


One caveat for publishers: it would be good to see more nonfiction for children providing information about sources. It is important that young readers not only learn about the world we live in, but also come to understand how we know.


Books mentioned: A First Book of the Sea, Nicola Davies illus Emily Sutton, Walker Books, 978-1406368956, £14.99 hbk Moth: An Evolution Story, Isabel Thomas illus Daniel Egnéus, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 978-1408889756, £12.99 hbk Plantopedia, Adrienne Barman, Wide Eyed Editions, 978-1786031389, £14.99 hbk Himalayan Mountains (Expedition Diaries), Simon Chapman, Franklin Watts, 978-1445156781, £13.99 The Funny Life of Pets, James Campbell, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 978-1408889947, £6.99 pbk Wild Facts about Nature, Andy Seed, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 978-1408891872, £6.99 pbk


Nikki Gamble is Director of Just Imagine Story Centre and Associate Consultant at the University of London, Institute of Education.


Books for Keeps No.232 September 2018 15


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