Today is Wildlife Day! To celebrate, we’ve compiled a list of five of the best books about wildlife for children – from books about animals who have made history to fun, interactive books, sticker books, and poetry too.
WildLives: 50 Extraordinary Animals that Made History, written by Ben Lerwill and illustrated by Sarah Walsh
For those who love animals and history, our first book is the perfect gift! WildLives is a fascinating and touching book about fifty of the most courageous creatures from around the world – from Sergeant Stubby, the war hero bulldog who saved lives, to Murali, the fearless female tiger who protected her cubs. Discover some of the most famous and unforgettable animals of all time in this compelling, visually arresting book!
And here’s a few words from the editor:
“This is an extraordinary book about extraordinary animals – some, you might have heard of already and some you probably won’t have done, but amazingly all of the stories here are true. Many of them will make you laugh, many will make you stop and think, but, most importantly, ALL of the animals are special and their story deserves to be remembered forever.”
Take a look inside this fascinating new book:
National Trust: Look and Say What You See at the Seaside, illustrated by Sebastien Braun
The second book on our list is the latest in the spot-and-find nature book series, National Trust: Look and Say. From seashells and sandcastles on the shore to starfish and seahorses underwater, this look-and-say book is a great way for little ones to start learning about nature at the seaside. What can you see in the rock pool? Can you find seagull chicks nesting in the clifftop?
The others in the series include, What You See in the Countryside, What You See in the Town, and What You See on the Farm.
And the editor says:
“Little ones will have hours of fun recognising all their favourite animals, places and plants as they explore the seaside in this interactive picture book. And it’s not just favourites, there are plenty of new nature words to learn, too!”
Take a look inside the book, below:
Who’s Hiding in the Jungle?, illustrated by Katharine McEwen
Next on our list is the fifth book in the gorgeous lift-the-flap series, Who’s Hiding Here? These innovative flap books are the perfect introduction to the outdoors for little ones, with beautiful collaged artwork and fun flaps to pull up and explore under. Lift the leaves, tree, and rocks to find out interesting facts about jungle wildlife in this latest book!
And we’re very excited that the next book in the series – Who’s Hiding in the Desert? – will be published in July.
Here’s a comment from the editor:
“This series is an absolute delight! With beautiful artwork and fun flaps to lift, little children will be busy for hours, discovering all kinds of wildlife!”
And here’s one of the lovely pages with flaps:
National Trust: Horses, Hens and Other British Farm Animals, illustrated by Nikki Dyson
Publishing this April, this is the fifth in a glorious sticker book series created in collaboration with the National Trust. Packed with facts about farmyard animals and their homes, with four pages of wildlife stickers to have fun with! This is an excellent introduction to all types of farm animals for the very young, including pigs in their pigsty, fields of sheep and lambs, alpacas in the city farm, and much, much more.
And if you can’t wait until then, there are already four sticker books in the series to enjoy – Beetles, Butterflies, and other British Minibeasts, Hedgehogs, Hares, and other British Animals, Robins, Wrens, and other British Birds, and Sharks, Seahorses, and other British Sea Creatures.
And here’s what the editor said:
“Children just love visiting the farm and recognising all the different animals that live there. With gorgeous illustrations from Nikki Dyson as ever, there’s a lot to learn and plenty of stickering fun to be had!”
You can take a look at the first few pages, here:
I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree – A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year, selected by Fiona Waters and illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
No wildlife list would be complete without this wonderful poetry anthology! Filled with familiar favourites and new discoveries, covering all the seasons and a variety of animals – and written by a wide variety of poets, including John Agard, William Blake, Emily Brontë, Emily Dickinson, Carol Ann Duffy, Christina Rossetti, William Shakespeare, and William Wordsworth.
This is a book for the whole family to treasure, with nature poems and gorgeous illustrations to delight and inspire every day of the year.
Here’s what the editor had to say:
“This is the book I am most proud of publishing. It has been an extraordinary labour of love by everyone involved, including Frann Preston-Gannon, whose exquisite illustrations are a real hymn to nature, making this a timeless classic to treasure. It’s such a rich book, and one that I would love every child to have on their shelves.”
And you can take a look inside here:
We hope this list gives you some wildlife book inspiration! If you’d like to stay up-to-date with all of our book news, you can sign up to our books newsletter with the form below.
