My first thought when I saw this book was, If only encyclopedias had been this beautiful when I was a child!
Luckily for this next generation, though, reference books are no longer the dull things they used to be. Now, they're bright and colourful and packed with well-presented and interesting information. Especially when they come from the capable hands of the team at Steve Parish Publishing.
This Junior Encyclopedia of Australian Wildlife covers everything that even the most curious child wants to know about animals, birds and fish in our great land.
Beginning with some introductory stuff - evolution ('Why is Australia's wildlife so different?'), habitats, groups of wildlife - children will be enthralled before they even reach the main sections.
From there, the book is broken down into two areas: Vertebrates and Invertebrates. And each of these is further categorised; for example, mammals, birds, reptiles, etc. We look at what makes each of these unique, how they reproduce, what they eat and where they live, among other intriguing facts (did you know the platypus senses even the slightest of movements with the sensitive skin of its bill?).
Of course, when it comes to wildlife there is always the issue of endangerment and this is explained thoroughly. Discovering why a particular animal under threat leads to knowing how to help prevent extinction.
Knowledge is the all-important key to the world that our children need to be armed with.
This is a bright, beautifully photographed and well-presented book - full of information, but also with plenty of pictures and white space so kids won't be overwhelmed with masses of compressed text.
In short: an invaluable resource for children with an eager thirst for knowledge of the animals around us.
Title: Junior Encyclopedia of Australian Wildlife
Author: Kylie Currey
Photographer: Steve Parish
Publisher: Steve Parish Publishing, $29.95 RRP
Publication Date: 2006
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781740217996
For ages: 7+
Type: Junior non-fiction
Also in this series:
Junior Encyclopedia of Australian Sealife
