Natural Non Fiction

The last of the nature themed books to share this week and they are absolutely GORGEOUS! HAve you heard of the Nature All Around series? Published by Kids Can Press, there are four books in the series written by Pamela Hickman and illustrated by Carolyn Gavin containing fascinating information about the natural world at our fingertips.

Readers young and old will learn about trees, plants, bugs and birds through these four encyclopedic books. Firmly rooted in sharing the natural world of Canada and the United States, readers will recognize so much of what they see in their own backyards reflected on the pages. The information is easily digestible in short little paragraphs of information, flow charts, and diagrams. At the end of each book, Pamela Hickman includes a hands on project for young readers and a glossary of terms to further the understanding of the information.

The watercolour illustrations by Carolyn Gavin are stunning! Readers get up close looks at leaves, insects, feathers and root systems. I know there are many who like to see photos in non fiction books, The Bear is one, but for this series it was the best choice to have such an expert illustrator providing the visuals. There is a warmth and a comfort in the illustrations, making the book feel almost like a story. You don’t feel like information is just being thrown at you, you feel like you are walking in the woods with the author and making discoveries together.

Nature All Around is a series you will want to have accessible to all of your young biologists.