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Topic: Celebrating Science

Non-fictionPicturebook

What does a venus fly trap eat?
How strong is a giant water lily?
Does a cactus flower?
The newest addition to Yuval Zommer’s bestselling series answers these questions and more as it introduces young children to all kinds of colourful, carnivorous, weird and wonderful flowering plants from around the world. It opens with introductory spreads on how to be a botanist; how to recognise different types of flowers; the life-cycle of a plant; flower anatomy; and the seven types of animal pollinators including bats, birds and beetles. Subsequent spreads, illustrated within various habitats, are dedicated to specific varieties of plants, including the carnivorous venus flytrap, the giant water lily and the weird and wonderful corpse flower. Readers will enjoy learning about different edible flowers and why flowers are fragrant or colourful, not to mention grisly details about carnivorous and poisonous flowers.

Non-fiction

Why is your elbow called your funny bone? How could you escape the grip of a crocodile’s jaw? Which animal can breathe through its bottom? And how do these things all link together?

This brilliant book will have eyebrows raised and jaws dropping as it uncovers the amazing scientific explanations behind all sorts of questions that can pop into our heads. Can an egg bounce? How can a giraffe’s ridiculously long neck contain the same number of bones as a human’s? How much does the Internet weigh?

Written by science superstar and STEM Ambassador Dr Emily Grossman, this book will answer all science questions you may or may not have wondered about. Each section in the book is linked to the one before it, creating a fantastically interactive structure, where a question answered brings up new curiosities and surprises. This is the perfect book for children who love learning about science or who need an extra nudge when it comes to STEM subjects. After all, who wouldn’t want to find out how a hippo can use its own sweat as sunscreen?!

Non-fictionPicturebook

With fun, playful text by expert Dr Emily Grossman and bright, characterful illustrations help your kids to discover just how vital microbes are to life on earth.

These tiny organisms – that can only be seen under a microscope – are absolutely EVERYWHERE. In fact, they’re even living inside our bodies, travelling through outer space and swimming in the world’s seas.

And while some microbes can make us sick, many of them actually keep us well, and even help to keep our planet happy and healthy.

Step into the incredible world of microbes in this fascinating picture book by Dr Emily Grossman about the miniature life that surrounds us.

Non-fictionPicturebook

What do scientists do all day? Find out in this beautifully illustrated book that features more than 100 scientists at work. Little ones can explore 14 different colourful scenes, turning the page after each to learn about eight special scientists you will find there.

Spot the scientists and learn about the jobs they do in these fascinating places: nature reserve, health center, Arctic research station, hospital, museum, our new city, mission control and on the space station, observatory, aerospace center, botanical gardens, Earth Science center, energy plant, university, and technology and computer lab.

Meet the environmentalist at the nature reserve, the nurse at the hospital, the archaeologist at the museum, the navigation engineer at mission control, the astronomer at the observatory, the fungi specialist at the botanical gardens… you’ll be amazed at the range of things scientists work on.

From solar panels to sewers and from trams to tower blocks; follow our step-by-step guide and watch the city transform from a cluster of houses to a mega metropolis..

Non-fictionPicturebook

Little David grew up in Leicester on the campus of a university, where his father was a professor. As a child, he spent hours in the science library , collating his own specimens and creating a mini animal museum. When he was old enough to go to university, he studied science and zoology – but what he wanted most of all was to be close to the animals he was studying.

So, he started working in television, visiting animals in their natural habitats and telling the world the untold stories of these animals. Little David went on to become one of the most celebrated environmentalists on the planet , teaching generation after generation about the importance of the natural world.

This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back , including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the broadcaster’s life.

Non-fiction

Why are animals so amazingly colourful?

Find out in this kaleidoscopic look at the technicolour world of animals. Meet animals of every colour of the rainbow and find out why they are the colours and patterns they are . Discover the reason why some animals are stripy and others are spotty.
Why do some creatures deliberately pop out while others strive to blend in?
Why are some bright to warn off others while others only pretend to look toxic?
Why are some male animals so much more flamboyant than their female counterparts?
Why do some babies look so different from the grown-ups in their families?
The animal kingdom is explored like never before in this richly detailed natural history book, bursting with life and colour.

This is a beautifully illustrated first look at the colourful and kaleidoscopic world of animals for young children.

Non-fictionPicturebook

From nonfiction stars Diane Stanley and Jessie Hartland comes a beautifully illustrated biography of Ada Lovelace, who is known as the first computer programmer.
Two hundred years ago, a daughter was born to the famous poet, Lord Byron, and his mathematical wife, Annabella.
Like her father, Ada had a vivid imagination and a creative gift for connecting ideas in original ways. Like her mother, she had a passion for science, math, and machines. It was a very good combination. Ada hoped that one day she could do something important with her creative and nimble mind.
A hundred years before the dawn of the digital age, Ada Lovelace envisioned the computer-driven world we know today. And in demonstrating how the machine would be coded, she wrote the first computer program. She would go down in history as Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer.
Diane Stanley’s lyrical writing and Jessie Hartland’s vibrant illustrations capture the spirit of Ada Lovelace and bring her fascinating story vividly to life.

Non-fictionPicturebook

Little Rosalind was born in London to a Jewish family who valued education and public service, and as she grew up her huge intellectual abilities were drawn into the study of science.

Having studied physics and chemistry at Cambridge University, Rosalind moved to Paris to perfect her life’s work in X-ray crystallography. She then moved back to King’s College London, where she would work on finding the structure of DNA with Maurice Wilkins.

It was Rosalind’s “photo 51” that was used by Wilkins to create the first ever double helix DNA model with Francis Crick, although he did not credit for her work due to a falling out between the two, and her work went unacknowledged until after her death.

Non-fictionPicturebook

A stylishly illustrated non-fiction book about the search for life on Mars, told from the unique perspective of NASA’s Mars rover, Curiosity.

Discover the incredible story of the search for life on Mars, told from the unique perspective of Curiosity, the Mars Rover sent to explore the red planet. Markus Motum’s stylish illustrations and diagrams reveal how a robot travelled 350,000,000 miles to explore a planet where no human has ever been.
Shortlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize 2018.

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