We have had the pleasure of being tasked with some Lonely Planet Kids book reviews this month; and I can safely say it has been an utter pleasure. It is hardly a bind when you have books as enchanting as these four to explore:
- The Animal Book (RRP £14.99),
- The Big Earth Book (RRP £14.99),
- The Dinosaur Atlas (RRP £12.99), and finally
- Incredible Cabinet of Wonders (£15.99).
All of these books are aimed at the 8+ age group, expect the Dinosaur Atlas, which is probably a little more suitable for the younger children; age 5+.
The Animal Book (Preview) 8/10
This is really a children’s encyclopedia of over 100 weird and wonderful creatures from the world at large; each animal covered has gorgeous pictures, amazing facts, and lots of educational information. Even the book jacket design is rather striking…we thought it would make rather a lovely wallpaper actually ;-)
The book is split into the different regions of the world, from the Arctic, to the Americas, and even has a special section dedicated to the Oceans; of particular interest to my boy who loves a good shark fact.
My favourite book when I was a child was an animal encyclopedia, and this is a wonderful up to date way to relive one’s childhood, and excite a new generation of kids about the animals that live around us. The book covers everything from the supposedly mundane fox (they are anything but), to the exotic green anaconda and emperor penguin.
The illustrations within the book are stunning and endeavor to remind our kids just how magical, and precious, the animals around us are.
The howling wolf is one of our favourites – such an iconic picture of a beautiful, and sadly endangered animal.
The Big Earth Book (Preview) – 9/10
Have you ever wondered what tectonic plates are? Do you know how hot a volcano is? This book takes an in depth dive into everything elemental; covering earth, fire, water and air. Reading this book will help your child to understand the four most powerful forces on the planet!
The book touches on aspects of Geography, History and Science in explaining all the forces that can play havoc with the world we live in, as well as create some of the most beautiful phenomenon and geology that the planet has to offer.
The book is illustrated in the same vibrant style as The Animal Book, helping to bring the story of the earth to life in an engaging way for the children reading it. The little characters that represent each of the elements within the book are quite simply charming, and the rest of the book doesn’t disappoint either.
Water looks the most mischevious don’t you think?
The book is beautifully laid out, and easy for kids to understand; you will be surprised to see that it can even distract them from playing with Scalectrix on the floor for a moment as well!
The Dinosaur Atlas (Preview) – 8/10
Do you have a Dinosaur mad wee boy or girl? If you do, then this Atlas transports them back to a time when the Dinosaurs roamed the earth. You can see where the dinosaurs lived, find out what we know about them, and how they were discovered.
The facts, and photographs within this book are particularly beguiling, with your kids being able to see, FOR REAL, the size of some of the dinosaur’s teeth…
You wouldn’t want to meet something with one of those gnashers now, would you?
The educational value of the book is excellent, with topics covered including how the dinosaurs evolved, what they did to get their food, what they all looked like, and most importantly, how to actually pronounce all of their impossible to spell names! ;-)
So you get…
PACHYCEPHALOSAURUS or
pak-ee-SEF-ah-loh-SAW-rus
….which is understandable – just.
Because the book is aimed at slightly younger children, there are a number of flaps for your kids to explore even further, including full width ones, adding to the mystery of the dinosaurs, and making the book even more fun for little fingers to get stuck in to!
Incredible Cabinet of Wonders (Preview) – 10/10
This book is, quite simply stunning. A gorgeous concept, spectacularly illustrated, and brought to life by awesome ideas, and intriguing topics.
Who doesn’t want to know what is inside a water droplet? Or how best to hunt down a monster?
The premise for the book is, as the title says, wonderful. 12 collectors have been chosen to share with us their weird and wacky worlds through a cabinet of their own. The collectors are varied; from the monster hunter, to the toy maker and even a doctor and a miniaturist.
The cabinets are brilliantly interactive, and exquisitely drawn. Photographs don’t do them justice; so just go and buy the book, or take a look at the preview linked to above. ;-)
This is our favourite book of all the four that we were asked to review; it is original, and fascinating. It truly will capture your child’s imagination, and young and old alike will delight in exploring the flaps to review the contents of the 12 special cabinets within the book.
Your kids might even struggle to wrestle it out of your hands….
Lonely Planet Kids Book Reviews – The FINAL verdict!
Lonely Planet Kids is an excellent educational publisher, and these four new titles continue the outstanding traditions of the company. Lonely Planet is known for its adult travel books, and the educational titles for the kids allow our children to explore using their imaginations, with well illustrated and researched books that will stand the test of time.
The cost of these books, at c. £15.00 or so each is, for a strong hardback book, packed with information, excellent value. The Incredible Cabinet of Wonders, in particular, is a unique concept, stunningly produced, and will be an utter delight for you and your children. Some of the illustrations within this book are even worth my art-mad daughter of twelve taking the time to copy!
If you are looking for a gift for your children, or to spark their imagination, then you would be well advised to pop over to the Lonely Planet Kids site for a bit of an explore yourself.
Oh, and in case you are wondering, the three little words I am referring to in the title; Lonely Planet Kids, of course!
Note: We have been given the books and were paid for this review; however, all opinions of the books are our own. We love them, and one of them is currently my own bedtime reading – can you guess which one?!?
Helen
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine! Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time. KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania. Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on. Get in touch TODAY!