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Format: Non-fiction

Non-fiction

Are you ready to begin your journey through space? Then all you have to do is look up into the night sky. What can you see?

Marvel at the twinkling stars, and the constellations that they make. Learn about what different cultures call each shape and what the patterns means to them. Then get ready to venture farther – out into the solar system and past what the naked eye can see.

Hop from planet to planet and discover what makes Earth different, or similar, to its celestial neighbours. Marvel at the ways that humans have explored our solar system, and beyond, with space shuttles, rockets and probes. There is a whole wide universe out there, with secrets and mysteries to solve. Grab your telescope and get ready for the intergalactic journey of a lifetime!

Non-fiction

An exciting, laugh-a-minute guide to every Olympic and Paralympic sport

From boxing to boccia, find out just what it takes to become an Olympic and Paralympic star in this hilariously informative guide to the games. For each sport you’ll discover why it’s great, why it’s not so great, what skills and equipment you’ll need to start practising and even how to sound like a pro! You’ll learn about some of the greatest Olympians in history, events that might appear in the future and there’s a helpful guide to your chances of becoming a champion.

With bold, energetic illustrations and a text packed with weird, wonderful and wildly hilarious facts written by former sports journalist Scott Allen, this gift book is the funniest guide you’ll find to the next Olympics!

Non-fiction

We all celebrate birthdays and friendships, the onset of seasons, religious events and national holidays. Our celebrations are full of colour, specially prepared food and good cheer. We All Celebrate introduces some less mentioned celebrations from around the world to children, among those that are well known and bring good memories.

Graphic NovelNon-fiction

The hilarious minds behind A Day in the Life of a Poo, a Gnu and You have teamed up once again – this time to give a taste of the daily lives of the people, animals and objects who made history.

Featuring a day in the life of early humans as they paint mammoths on the walls of a cave, a fierce gladiator battling in the Colosseum and the first woman in space. And not forgetting the animals of history – from an Egyptian cat (worshipped as a god, of course) to an albatross flying over Rapa Nui and a dog in the trenches of the First World War.

Readers can also discover the stories behind famous constructions, including the Great Wall of China and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and delve into the secret diaries of a Viking, Isaac Newton’s cat and the wooden panel that became the Mona Lisa.

With over 90 entries told in the friendly, informative style of Mike Barfield and brought to life by Jess Bradley’s brilliantly funny illustrations, this book will have children learning and laughing as they go.

Non-fiction

An atlas of the most extreme meteorological and geological disasters that nature has to offer!

We humans take our domination of the planet for granted, but sometimes nature reminds us that this is an illusion. Tectonics rip open the earth, vast waves sweep away coastal towns, magma spews from volcanoes and hurricanes lay waste to entire countries.

This book explores nature at its most destructive. Clear, coherent explanations break down the science behind phenomena including hurricanes, tornadoes, avalanches, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes, alongside fascinating facts about the biggest and the worst. Informative, accessible illustrations by Sophie Williams make this so much more than your standard geography book.

Non-fiction

Welcome to FACTopia! A wonderland of crazily connected facts. Did you know that a squid has a brain shaped like a doughnut? Or that some butterflies drink turtle tears? Every Britannica-verified fact in the book is connected to the next in an ingenious trail of information. Hop from topic to topic in unexpected and hilarious ways, and discover extraordinary facts about space, bones, dinosaurs, goats, spiders, crocodiles, sharks, robots, Ancient Rome, kings and queens, pharaohs, and more. But there’s not just one trail through these pages: sometimes your path branches and you can choose to jump to a totally different (but still connected) part of the book. Discover where your curiosity will take you! This wittily illustrated book is the perfect gift to inspire and delight curious kids.

Non-fiction

Often human scientists try and solve a problem or invent a new tool and they realise that animals have already invented it for them. In this book you will meet the animal inventors who have shared their super inventing powers to make amazing things for humans.

We have invented ways of solving problems, making unbelievable materials, ways of getting around and working out how to survive on our own for millions of years. Sometimes when a human inventor gets stuck, they come to the animal kingdom to see if we can help them out. In this book you will meet the creme de la creme of animal innovators who have created or are in the process of inventing things that people use every day.

Meet the shark who invented a pair of swimming shorts so fast, they were banned from the Olympic games. And meet the snail who has invented a house that stays cool inside even in the desert.

Non-fiction

Did you know that without insects, humankind could not survive?

This illustrated, fact-filled title explores the huge variety of insects on our planet, with a focus on what makes an insect an insect, the differences between the groups, and why insects are the most important animal group on Earth.

Broken down into sections exploring each of the main types of insect, each section takes a different, playfully visual approach to really capture the character of the insects in the order being explored. As well as including practical advice for observing insects safely, a section at the back of the book describes ways to help insects and encourage them into a garden no matter how small.

Non-fiction

Do you ever wonder where your stuff comes from, and what happens to it when you’re finished with it? Did you know that you can make paper out of elephant poo? And plastic packaging out of seaweed? And did you know that if you throw away an old T-shirt, it can take 200 years to break down?

Written and researched by Maddie Moate, the star of CBBC’s Do You Know? and Let’s Go Live with Maddie and Greg, and illustrated by Paul Boston, this book is full of mind-bursting facts and extraordinary stories of the ingenious ways people around the world, and across history, have made, used and re-used the stuff around them.

Non-fiction

Antarctica was only discovered 200 years ago and since its discovery, explorers, sailors, and scientists have been travelling to the world’s only uninhabited continent to learn all they can about its icy environment. This book follows the story of a group of researchers on their half-year stay in Antarctica. Their goal was to examine the animals, plants, atmosphere, weather, and fossils in the area. Through full-page illustrations, children will experience the work and life of these explorers and scientists as they study penguins, whales, and seals, measure the depth of the ice, chart wind speeds of up to 186 mph (300km/h), examine old volcanoes, and withstand some of the lowest temperatures ever recorded. Kids will also learn about Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott, the legendary explorers who first set foot on Antarctica. Equal parts thrilling adventure and in-depth exploration, this book is an unforgettable illustrated expedition to Antarctica that is sure to satisfy the boldest bedtime traveler.

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