Natural World by Amanda Wood & Mike Jolley,
illustrated by Owen Davey (Murdoch Books) HB RRP $35.00
ISBN 9781847807519
Reviewed by
Daniela Andrews
‘… over millions of years, since life appeared on
Earth, each animal and every plant has evolved to look, behave and procreate in
the way that gives it its best chance of survival …’
This information
book, the first in the ‘Curiositree’ range, provides a compilation of 67 highly
visual charts to help readers understand this connection.
The ‘Editor’s
Note’ quotes Albert Einstein and Mark Twain, citing natural curiosity as a way
for humans to peacefully co-exist with nature. To spark the curiosity of the
book’s target audience (7 years and up), it has been compiled in a way that
allows the reader to begin at any page they like. The chart margins include
arrows propelling readers forward or backward through the book to other charts
of relevance. This is great for people who don’t necessarily want to read the
book from start to finish, allowing them to forge their own discovery path.
Most of the
charts are double-page spreads, rich in text. Each chart is colour-coded with
marginal icons. Yellow charts are about natural habitats (eg ‘Life in Tropical
Rainforests’). Orange charts are about plant and animal species (eg
‘Butterflies and Moths’). Blue charts are about wildlife adaptations (eg ‘Super
Spines’). The hardcover book, with thick matte pages, features three ribbons in
corresponding colours to help readers bookmark their journey.
The book
includes a comprehensive index, and a helpful introduction with a diagram
showing how to use the book’s arrows. There is a contents page listing the
chart titles. It might have been helpful for the contents listings to reflect
the chart colours, but it is also nice to discover these when flipping through
the book.
A lovely feature
of this title is the dust jacket – it unfolds into a large, glossy poster
(‘Brilliant Birds’) that will look great on the wall!
The
illustrations by award-winning Owen Davey have been created digitally, but are
surprisingly detailed and textured.
There is lots of
information to absorb in this book, both in illustration and in text, making it
a great reference for understanding how nature is connected … and indeed for
encouraging one’s curiosity!
