Habitats and Ecosystems

‘The Emerald Forest’ is a gorgeous and moving picture book bringing to life the plight of orangutans on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.

The story, written by Catherine Ward, is written in prose but its language is poetic and has a lovely rhythm to it, making it perfect for reading aloud. Karin Littlewood’s illustrations are stunning, and the size of the pages and the scope of the pictures, bursting with the greenery and light of the Indonesian forest, create an immersive experience. In one illustration, it feels as if the orangutan is looking right at you. Because of this, the experience of the orangutans as their habitat comes under attack is felt on an emotional level too. The plight of the orangutans is unsettling, but the message overall is one of hope, as the orangutans are rescued and rehomed in the story.

The book encourages the reader to look towards a future where the forests of Sumatra might recover if people play a part in protecting them. This stunning rainforest-themed picturebook would be invaluable for use in a class topic on the use of palm oil, or more generally in talking about the impact of human activity – for better and for worse – on the environment.

A wonderfully detailed picture book about life in a rockpool. Crab thinks he is the king of the rockpool because of his strength, but Prawn thinks differently and is all for playing safe. So, off the friends go on an adventure to discover who rules the rockpool meeting all sorts of colourful and interesting creatures on the way.

The story is told with great humour full of fishy puns. Parents and children will have great fun sharing this book as every time you look at the illustrations you find new details. There is a great section at the back of the book giving further information on rock pooling and the creatures you may find.

A message-based picture book originating from a viral Greenpeace film that highlighted the plight of orangutans, the dangers of deforestation and the misuse of palm oil.

A little girl discovers a cheeky Rang-tan causing chaos at home. At first, she orders the Rang-tan to go away, but she soon realises that he has a story to tell and she stops to listen. The Rang-tan explains how its real home in the rainforest is being destroyed by humans – with trees being burned down in order to extract palm oil for making human products shampoo and chocolate. Horrified by what she has heard, the little girl takes action immediately and, in doing so, informs the reader of positive steps they could take to help make a difference to the Rang-tan’s habitat.

Beautifully illustrated, ‘There’s a Rang-Tan in my Bedroom’ is charming and enjoyable as a story for younger children while remaining clear and unapologetic in its message about a real danger to the natural world. Frann Preston-Gannon’s illustrations powerfully juxtapose images of the fragility of the Rang-tan – with its adorable large eyes and childlike poses appealing to the girl for protection – alongside unhappy scenes of the destruction of the rainforest habitat causing a whole host of animals to flee.

Extra information about palm oil production and ideas for helping orangutans – including how to write a campaign letter – are included at the end of the book, so that positive action is a logical step for those moved by the story’s message.

Seeing the elusive and never-before-seen Giant Arctic Jellyfish is Dr Morley’s life ambition. She adores jellyfish and has spent her life studying and researching the ultimate jellyfish: The Giant Arctic Jellyfish. Once her crew are assembled, they embark on their adventure to the cold Arctic on their boat to search the icy waters. They find a whole array of Arctic creatures in their polar habitat, including narwhals, polar bears, beluga whales and orcas.

They travel around the Arctic taking scientific samples and measurements, trying to find clues about the whereabouts of the jellyfish.

A moving adventure story which shows the importance of perseverance in finding, chasing and achieving one’s dreams. The book is beautifully illustrated and adds to the story and adventure. As you read along, you can spot the Giant Arctic jellyfish on most pages – Where’s Wally? style – which is engaging for younger readers and makes you urge on Dr Morley and her team.

The story is easy to read and follow, and some of the language is suitably challenging for children of different ages.

Following a tiny coral planula, this book gives an insight into the interesting life of coral as it becomes a part of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

The text is written in the first person narrative integrated with lots of factual information for the reader. The illustrations would attract younger children however, the non-fiction aspect would also interest older children (and adults) who want to discover more about this animal as it looks for the perfect place to settle, divide and grow. There is some challenging vocabulary in the text but this is supported by the simplicity of the story running through this book.

At the back, there is a wonderful fold-out map showing the coral reefs of the world that also includes a Coral I-Spy game for children which takes them back through the book locating different reef animals.

This book would be a fabulous addition to a home, primary school library or classroom.

A beautifully heartfelt and moving story with strong environmental themes. This story highlights the topic of global warming, but also draws a picture of the wonderful connection that can develop between children and animals.

When April heads to a remote Arctic island with her father, who is there for scientific research, she’s not sure exactly what to expect. The trip to ‘Bear Island’ has the potential to be a very lonely trip – with endless summer Arctic nights, an isolated wilderness and, according to her father, no actual polar bears left on the island for April to spot despite its name.

Surprisingly, April encounters a real polar bear on the island when nobody else is around. Isolated from his family, the bear is starving and alone, with nobody to help him. Over time, a friendship develops and April becomes more determined than ever to save the bear. 

There’s something magical about this story – from the wonderfully evoked Arctic setting to the glorious friendship that develops between April and the bear. This is a powerful and important story that will stir the heart through its gently unfolding message that places hope in the hands of the young to make a difference in the planet’s future.

This book contains three stories about nature at its most wild and thrilling. Akimbo lives on the edge of an African game reserve where he helps his father to protect the animals in their natural habitat. In these adventures he saves elephants from sneaky poachers, rescues a trapped lion cub and saves a man from the jaws of a crocodile. Highly recommended for KS2.

If you’ve ever stared in awe at the complexity of a mighty tree and allowed yourself to wonder if creatures beyond our knowledge might dwell in its branches, or even wondered hopefully whether there are fairies at the bottom of the garden, this book will validate each and every one of those secret, imaginative musings.

The story follows the adventure of three tiny, funny, eternal beings – also known as the Hidden Folk. When the trio wake from winter hibernation one year in their cherished ash tree home, things don’t go as expected. Their beautiful home becomes destroyed, and the three set off on an adventure to find others like them. They journey through town and country, greeted along the way by a series of friendly and not-so-friendly animals. Will they ever find a place to call home – and are they really the last ones of their kind left?

At the heart of the story are the themes of survival and the consequences of not protecting the natural world. The magical elements add so much fun to the plot and help children to connect with the broader themes, gently provoking questions about how much human actions have consequences beyond what we immediately see. Writer Melissa Harrison explains, ‘Stories were a crucial way in which I connected with nature as a little girl, imaginatively and emotionally….I wanted to write something that was accessible and inclusive, funny and magical – that didn’t prioritise the countryside over the city, and that allowed children to understand that other creatures are as real as they are – that humans are not the only actors on the stage.’

This would make a fabulous read-aloud for children in KS2, and will resonate well with anyone who loved the worlds of tiny people in The Borrowers, The Minpins or Toby Alone. The story sings of the wonders of nature on almost every page, and gives a gentle plea for humans to take conservation more seriously.

This stunning children’s non-fiction hardback is the accompaniment to the Netflix series Our Planet. This is the kind of book that readers young and old will love to pore over, from the powerful photographs of melting ice caps to the facts and figures about palm oil plantations and endangered sea life. There is so much to learn and think about.

The book has a foreword by Sir David Attenborough. What follows is a visual ode to Planet Earth told through extraordinary photography combined with appealing illustrations that draw in younger readers and help them to understand nature’s amazing interplay of habitats and ecosystems. Small sections of text further explain the images, giving snapshots of animals’ lifestyles as well as presenting hard-hitting facts about the dangers they face. We learn how orangutans have incredible mapping skills to navigate their jungle homes, but also how we lose 100 orangutans a week due to human actions like hunting and deforestation. We find out how beautiful lantern-fish light their way along with 17-metre long oarfish in the high seas, but also how plastic peril and high-seas fishing put the incredible marine life there in danger.

The tone of the book is one to inspire rather than to frighten readers into action. The book is not at all without hope for the future, and the nudge to make personal changes comes through simple tips like choosing products carefully and supporting sustainable fishing. Moreover, with photographs as stunning as these, it is hard for readers of all ages not to feel inspired to take steps to protect the natural world.

This is full to the brim with simple ideas to help endangered animals and make the world a better place. The book begins with a guide to the different types of habitats that can be found before taking each individual one and detailing not only what wildlife lives there (with fantastic facts and size and weight keys to make it even easier) and ways we can help. The illustrations are bold, beautiful and give a high-quality finish. Perfect for all ages from 5 year olds to 105 years old, this is one not just for school but a perfect home addition as well.

Let’s Save the Okavango Delta is a superb choice to compliment KS1 and Lower KS2 topics around the environment, climate change or even to support a contrasting locality study in Geography.

It is a beautiful illustrated and fascinating look into the wetlands of Botswana. Catherine Barr takes this area of Southern Africa and uses each double page spread to share a compelling reasons for saving this extraordinary habitat, enabling young readers to appreciate the breadth of impact that climate change brings upon even the smallest of areas. Each section is written in a similar style; a short paragraph of introduction and then captions to accompany the beautiful pencil drawn illustrations.

The writing style is accessible for more able KS1 readers and offers enough topic specific vocabulary to aid discussion and research.Whilst the book can be enjoyed in its entirety, there are so many themes which can be built upon and developed as the book unfolds; from the animals and birdlife which live there to how rural and urban localities within the region are impacted by the river itself. As a resource for persuasive writing, the book offers so many opportunities to debate meaningfully. For example, the controversial subject of fossil fuel extraction in the area would be particularly interesting to explore.

The final two page spread challenges the reader to consider how they can impact climate change and become more informed about wetland habitats. It also offers some superb home learning activity ideas! The author asks the reader to consider supporting World Wetlands Day and even encourages readers to create their own wetlands hotspot in their garden. The final caption draws this together with the request to share all of the important things they have learned in an assembly. The book is truly thought provoking and is highly recommended.

The Great Barrier Reef is a colourfully illustrated, delightful book full of facts. From the first page, the beautiful illustrations draw the reader in to learn all about the story of the Great Barrier Reef from how it began to the present day.

This book is full of information which could be shared in discussion or independently. You can dip into different sections, and focus on particular areas such as who dwells in the reef to shipwrecks and legendary tales as well as learning from the illustrations, so there is something for everyone. There is a glossary of technical language to explore, linking to science as well as geography.

This beautiful book is a captivating read for children and adults of all ages, with a clear message about protecting the wonder that is the Great Barrier Reef for future generations – not least because there is nowhere else in the world quite like it.

Atlas of Ocean Adventures is an oversized hardback with immersive illustrations that showcase the natural wonders and marine marvels from different oceans of the world.

Each impressive double-page spread features a different sea creature in its natural habitat, including a range of fish, marine birds and larger mammals. Maps, illustrations, captions and text boxes work together to build a picture of the incredible diversity of ocean life around the world. There are plenty of intriguing details to capture readers’ imagination and there are also nods towards the need for sustainability in the way human behaviours affect the natural ocean habitats.

This delight of a book is the 5th title in the best-selling Atlas of Adventures series, perfect for children aged 7-11 to dip in and out of time and time again at school or home.

Little Brown Nut is the newest addition to the series, ‘Start Small, Think Big’ covering growth and life cycles. This non-fiction picture book tells the story of the Brazil nut tree and shows why the rainforest is important to local people and the wider world. The book features full-colour illustrations, a textured cover with a peep-through hole and giant fold-out map, and covers themes of life cycles, tree germination, photosynthesis and habitats,

The reader is instantly transported through the peep-hole cover into the Amazon Rainforest to experience the story of the brazil nut, as told through first-person (or first-nut!) narrative. The journey spans from the nut falling from its tree, to encountering a wide variety of animals on the forest floor and being buried to finally meeting humans, who will use the nuts they gather in the forest in different ways. The non-fiction/story blend explains the life-cycle of the nut with questions for the reader to explore further, such as ‘Can you see…?’ sparking interest and interaction. The interaction continues through to the end pages, with an impressive six-page fold-out section inside the back cover that will go down a treat in the classroom (including a life-cycle diagram and map of South America) and an I-Spy type game to encourage readers to have a second look.

The main text is aimed at emerging readers, with additional information for confident readers and shared reading with an adult. We particularly like learning new vocabulary, eg: agouti (rodent-like guinea pig of the rainforest) and that it’s filled with facts about how something as small as a single brazil nut is so interconnected with both its local habitat and the wider world. Schools will value this as an interactive non-fiction text that immediately captures children’s interests as well as one that aids learning in topics about rainforests, life cycles and habitats.

The River that Flows Beside Me follows the course of a river from its source, high in the mountains, to its mouth where it meets the sea. It travels across a dam, past meadows and farms and, finally, through a town and a port. As we follow the river we see some of the wildlife which use it as a food source as well as a home. We see how different natural features are formed over time, such as an oxbow lake and a gorge. We also see how humans use the river, from farming to leisure activities such as canoeing as well as for transporting both people and goods.

The book contains a wealth of subject-specific vocabulary, especially if you are studying rivers, and is beautifully illustrated. The illustrations are labelled with points of interest (such as animal names) and the text is broken up into small, manageable chunks.

One of the best features of this book is that the pages fold out, allowing you to follow the whole course of the river as it flows across the pages. The pages themselves are made of a sturdy card which will stand up to many foldings and refoldings.

A gem of a book!

We are huge fans of this series at BooksForTopics HQ. Take a dive through the different layers of the ocean to the deepest trenches below with our favourite feline scientist, Professer Astro Cat. Each double-page spread offers a highly visual array of facts themed around a different stage of the sea voyage. Starting with fun on the seashore (did you know that most of the white sand in Hawaii is actually parrotfish poop?), we then join Professor Astro Cat as he boards a sea vessel and takes a crash course in navigation and ocean weather. The animals don their diving gear and explore the kelp forests and continental shelf of the shallow zone (find out how the torpedo ray can kill small fish with a 200-volt electric shock) before progressing deeper to discover a host of creatures including sharks and cephalopods. Going deeper still, Professor Astro Cat explores how the bigger and smaller creatures are connected via the food web before heading into the very darkest zones and deepest trenches (where you’ll find out how zombie worms got their name). Every page is highly visual down to the tiniest detail and the selected information is at once interesting and informative, allowing readers to delight in their newfound knowledge and quickly feel like an expert. The book is well suited to children in terms of reading level, design style and interest range.