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A Little Guide to Trees Charlotte Voake, Eden Children’s Books, 978-1-9039-1982-8, £7.99 hbk. Age 5-8


This writer’s nature books are amongst the best for helping younger children become able to know what to look for whether it is insects in Insect Detective or flowers in A Little Guide to Wild Flowers. My favourite is this book which helps young readers learn to look at a tree’s shape and size, where it grows and the shape and size of its leaves to help identify it. The delicate watercolours help children to appreciate the loveliness of different trees and to look for them whether they live in the town or the countryside.


My Book of Bike Activities Catherine Bruzzone, illus Jo Moore and Anne Wilson, b small publishing, 978-1-9097-6769-0, £6.99 hbk. Age 5-10. This attractively designed book gives a great deal of information in the written text and in illustrations, some of which are clearly labelled diagrams showing the different kinds of bike. Young bike enthusiasts are encouraged to make a record of the different cycle symbols on road signs and then design their own. A task to engage the imagination is: ‘Can you design a bike for the future?’ There is advice about how to look after a bike and, importantly, how to mend a puncture. This would be a helpful resource for a teacher introducing that favourite early years project ‘Transport’ and a splendid guide to cycling for older children.


The Wild City Book: Loads of Things to do Outdoors in Towns and Cities Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks, Frances Lincoln, 978-0-7111-2348-8, £9.99 pbk. Age 8-10 (and younger children with adult support)


Sixty-seven projects are set out in seven chapters with themes which include ‘Wild streets’ and ‘Games and trails’ as well as ‘Wild creations’


and ‘Imaginative play’.


Each project has succinct instructions for an activity together with photographs of children absorbed in their tasks making exciting art works – grass dolls, conker creatures and stick totem poles. Green spaces abound in towns and cities – in urban parks, back yards and gardens. And resources to support the activities are easily obtainable. To make the mini-beast mansion, project 10, you need to track down old pieces of wood for the structure and then gather grasses,


MY MY B ACTIVITIES A Wheelie Good Book TIVITIES F BIKE F BIKE b small K


bark, pine cones and suchlike to make a cosy winter shelter. Project 28 ‘Teddy bears picnic’ and Project 29 ‘Making a mini-igloo’ seem promising for younger children.


The RSPB Children’s Guide


to Nature Watching Mark Boyd, A&C Black, 978-1-4081- 8757-9, £7.99 pbk. Age 9+


This is a comprehensive, visually attractive guide to what to look for when exploring the outdoors. Before you set out you make some preparations and to decide on the equipment you need. There is advice about how to identify the animals, birds and plants you find- such things as habitat, voice and behaviour all help. This is a guide for serious young explorers and gives advice on how to write up field notes.


The Countryside Book: 101 Ways to Play, Watch Wildlife and Be Creative and have Adventures in the Country


Teresa Wardley, Bloomsbury, 978-1- 4081-8703-6, £14.99 pbk. Age 10-14


The tens and over are ready to use adult editions of guides to identifying birds and wildlife including the well regarded RSPB books. They would also find much of interest in this book which looks at all aspects of the countryside in each season through a detailed written text and fine photographs. There are sections on butterfly and moth watching, wild flowers and bird spotting and how to navigate using the sun and stars. The section on cloud gazing helps with identifying the different kinds and gives advice about finding ‘dark skies’ for star gazing where there is less light pollution. I like the ‘Questions’ section which considers,


for example, where


scientists get their species names and why a dock leaf soothes a nettle sting. The book has welcome lyrical moments too – the mythology of the hare includes the image of the creature as a ‘nocturnal moon gazer’.


Margaret Mallett taught in primary schools and in the Education Department of Goldsmiths College. She writes books on all aspects of Primary English and is Emeritus Fellow of The English Association.


Books for Keeps No.217 March 2016 11


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