'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Monday, 13 December 2021

Review: Search and Find: Magical Creatures and Animal Kingdom

Perfect for Christmas, birthdays, travel or just because your little ones love a good search and find, Laura Blythman’s Animal Kingdom and Magical Creatures search and find books are simply delightful.

A peek at the covers let’s you know the kind of stunning illustrations you’ll get to explore inside, and they really are truly stunning + vibrant + funky + adorable.

Laura Blythman is one of Australia’s most iconic contemporary artists, using a wonderful mix of watercolour, collage and technicolour in these gorgeous and interactive books.

But turn each page and not only do you get stunning illustrations and lists of things to find within it, but also a page of funky poems to accompany what’s in the pictures.

In Animal Kingdom explore bees and butterflies, crocs and lizards, dogs and cats and so much more. In Magical Creatures explore unicorns, monsters, mermaids and dragons + genies and trolls and more!

The layout of these books is really kid friendly, making them accessible for even the youngest of readers. 

When it comes to the finding, there’s an image of the things you need to find alongside the description so it’s super easy for kids to use.

The poems, too, are easy reading so many junior readers will be able to read these books independently.

At the back of each book, you’ll find the answers to each puzzle, so you’ll be able to test how good your searching skills are, and I love how some pages are harder than others (but you never know which) to add challenge to your search and find adventures.

If you know special little people who love to search for things, they are going to adore these books.

Title: Search and Find: Magical Creatures and Animal Kingdom
Author/Illustrator: Laura Blythman
Publisher: Five Mile, $19.99
Publication Date: 27 October 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781922514530 (Magical Creatures) 9781922514523 (Animal Kingdom)
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book, Activity Book