A First Book of Nature by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Mark Hearld (Walker Books, £12.99)
We are very lucky to live in York. There are some lovely green spaces to explore and when you have small children, every outing can be a nature adventure.
This first book of nature will help inspire you and your child to seek out the beauty around us. It is such a sensory experience. York artist Mark Hearld’s signature collage illustrations are stunning. They are complemented with wonderfully evocative text celebrating such a diverse world, from hay-making and butterflies to starlings and rock pools.
There are some suggestions for each season too, like planting seeds or making a den, and even a crumble recipe.
It encourages you to look and listen, to take wonder in the everyday lives of pigeons and the autumn miracle of spiderlings. To watch out for rainbows and appreciate the journey the little birds that come back in spring have made.
It is a book to share, to pore over together and return to again and again, divided into seasons so you can even create your own checklist of things to watch out for and do. It is so important to get new generations interested and impassioned about the natural world and this book will go a long way to help that.
Review by Philippa Morris of the Little Apple bookshop
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