Welcome to your online guide to visiting the world of wildlife!
Logo Discover Animals - Retina

Sign up to the Discover Animals newsletter:

Book on the Bird Table: Saving Sun Bears

Book on the Bird Table Saving Sun Bears

Our latest Book on the Bird Table is the wonderful Saving Sun Bears by Dr Sarah Pye, which follows the inspirational work of Malaysian ecologist Dr Wong Siew Te or ‘papa bear’ as he tries to save the sun bear from extinction. The sun bear has become know as the forgotten bear, being the least … Read more

Book on the Bird Table: Home

Book on the Bird Table: Home

Waterstones Black Friday banner

Our latest Book on the Bird Table is Home by Isabelle Simler, translated by Vineet Lal and published by Quarto.

Home is a beautiful book of reflective poems that look at all sorts of homes made and found in nature. From the leaf fortress of the weaver ant and the silk apartment of the Madagascan moon moth to the cactus cabin of the elf owl and the bunk bed in the branches of the Sumatran orangutan, young children can discover the fascinating ways in which over 25 of our planet’s creatures make their homes safe and secure.

Highlights include the European fan worm, which uses its home like a telescope, fanning out its long feathery lashes  that disappear inside at the slightest hint of danger, and the satin bowerbird, which creates an arched home decorated with vibrant blue items that have caught its eye.

not just a non-fiction book but a rhythmic exploration of what nature can teach us

Interior pages from Home

Each animal and its home is accompanied by poetic text making this not just a non-fiction book but a rhythmic exploration of what nature can teach us. The vivid colour of the illustrations and exquisite language mean that children and their parents alike can discover amazing facts about animals’ innovative building techniques and the importance of making a house a home.

 

About the author:

Isabelle Simler has written and illustrated over 20 books for children. Sweet Dreamers, My Wild Cat, Plume and The Blue Hour were all featured in the Society of Illustrators “The Original Art” annual exhibition. Plume was also named a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book 2017. Isabelle lives in France.

About the translator:

Vineet Lal is a literary translator of books from French to English, including A Perfect Spot and a Head Full of Birds. He studied French at Princeton University and the University of Edinburgh. Vineet lives in Scotland.

Home is aimed at children between 5-7 years old and can be bought from book stores including Amazon, Waterstones and Foyles.

Foyles Black Friday banner

Home

From the winner of the New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book comes a beautiful meditation on what makes a home. Each creature featured in this beautiful collection shows a unique way that they build their home, and poetic text accompanies each, making this both a narrative, non-fiction treasury and a poetic reflection on what nature can teach us. Discover how a beaver builds a safe dam for its family and how a tailor bird forages for grasses and animal hairs to use as threads, to sew a truly tailor-made nest. In this book, children and parents alike will discover in vivid colour and poetry, all the wild ways there are to build a home.

£13.99

Shop now

Book on the Bird Table: Can Jellyfish Live Forever?

Book on the Bird Table, Can Jellyfish Live Forever?

Our latest Book on the Bird Table is Can Jellyfish Live Forever? by experts from the Natural History Museum in London. Together, they’ve based the book on the weirdest facts known to the museum, as well as questions that visitors are always desperate to have answered. Each page leads with a fascinating question – essentially … Read more

Children’s nature book May round-up!

The books in May's children's nature book round-up

Welcome to our latest collection of children’s nature book releases! Super Birds! – Annabel Marriott – The Book Guild Super Birds! is a fun, bright children’s nature book for very young children that aims to inspire them to explore wildlife and nature, featuring charming illustrations by Ruth Coggins. Have you ever wondered what the birds around us get … Read more

Book on the Bird Table: Wilder Journeys

IMG 6196 1

Our latest Book on the Bird Table is Wilder Journeys: True Stories of Nature, Adventure and Connection, edited by Laurie King and Miriam Lancewood. Published by Watkins, the book taps into the growing need to reconnect with nature and become more at one with the land and planet we are all a part of. The … Read more

Book on the Bird Table: JUNO’S ARK + author Q&A with Jim Mellon!

Book on the Bird Table

Our latest Book on the Bird Table is JUNO’S ARK by British investor and philanthropist Jim Mellon, published this month by Fruitful Publications. Aimed at 7 to 9-year-olds, the book is inspired by Jim’s passion for animal welfare and follows the adventures of a big-hearted dog called Juno, evoking classics such as Black Beauty and The Sheep-pig. … Read more

Book on the Bird Table: RSPB Handbook of Garden Wildlife

Book on the Bird Table RSPB Handbook of Garden Wildlife

Our latest Book on the Bird Table is the third edition of the RSPB Handbook of Garden Wildlife by Peter Holden and Geoffrey Abbott, published by Bloomsbury. The guide is a comprehensive source of information on the plants and animals that live alongside us and this updated edition features new material on climate change, recycling and wild … Read more

Book on the Bird Table: Remembering Bears

The cover of Book on the Bird Table Remembering Bears

The latest Book on the Bird Table is Remembering Bears, which is the seventh in the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series; each book aims to shine a spotlight on a species that is in need of protection and further understanding.

Book on the Bird Table: from Coast & Cove

from Coast and Cove on the bird table

The latest Book on the Bird Table is from Coast & Cove: An artist’s year in paint and pen by Anna Koska, published by Pavilion Books. Written as a series of journal entries through the seasons, Anna Koska guides us thoughtfully through the year at her new home on the Devon coast.

New children’s nature books for summer holiday reading!

Welcome to our August collection of new children’s nature book releases – fantastic for a spot of summer holiday reading! The World’s Most Ridiculous Animals – Philip Bunting – Happy Yak – Ages 7-9   The World’s Most Ridiculous Animals is a witty, colourful and quirky nature book full of interesting facts about some of the most absurd and flamboyant animals … Read more

Book Review: Funny Bums, Freaky Beaks… + author Q&A!

A page from the book Funny Bums, Freaky Beaks by Alex Morss and Sean Taylor

REVIEW In Funny Bums, Freaky Beaks: and Other Incredible Creature Features, authors Alex Morss and Sean Taylor have created a fascinating collection of unusual creatures with amazing characteristics, celebrating the diversity of life on earth. From puzzling toes to weird ears, and all the other body parts in between, the book includes fantastic illustrations and … Read more

Book on the Bird Table: Being in Nature

The book Being in Nature, which encourages nature connection, sitting on the bird table

Our latest Book on the Bird Table is Being in Nature by James Farrell. Passionate about his subject matter, the author offers readers 20 mindful practices, all of which unleash the benefits of the great outdoors.

Book on the Bird Table: The Pet Loss Guide

The Pet Loss Guide by Millie Jacobs sits on the bird table

Little did I know when I received a copy of The Pet Loss Guide by Millie Jacobs, which features as this week’s Book on the Bird Table, that I would be writing a review following the loss of our beloved cat Sparky, who was hit and killed by a car two days ago on the … Read more

Exclusive: Rosemary Low on Female Heroes of Bird Conservation

In an exclusive feature for Discover Animals, author and avian expert Rosemary Low shares the inspiration behind her new book, Female Heroes of Bird Conservation. This latest book brings together the stories and achievements of over 30 women – past and present – who have dedicated their lives to increasing our knowledge and awareness of birds, saving lives and species from extinction.

Review: Planet Buddies NEW eco range

If you are looking for a way to get your kids involved with saving the planet through simple prompts, then the new Planet Buddies eco range of home accessories is a great way to do this. The brand is dedicated to raising awareness of endangered animals across the world and aims to share knowledge to inspire … Read more

Review: Remembering African Wild Dogs + WIN a copy of the book!

* COMPETITION * ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A COPY! We’ve teamed up with Remembering Wildlife to offer this fabulous book prize. For your chance to WIN a copy of Remembering African Wild Dogs simply enter your details below. ******** Remembering African Wild Dogs is the sixth book in the highly acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of fundraising books and … Read more

Review: Pam Ayres on Animals + WIN a copy of the book!

* COMPETITION * ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A COPY! We’ve teamed up with Ebury Press to offer this fabulous book prize. For your chance to WIN one of FOUR copies of the wonderful Pam Ayres on Animals simply enter your details below. ******** ‘Oh WHY must you bark at the postman? Why must you batter my ears? I know … Read more

*WIN* This Build Your Own Mini-Builds collection!

* COMPETITION TIME * ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN THIS AWESOME PRIZE! Plus, runner-up prize available too! We’ve teamed up with award-winning Build Your Own to offer this fabulous prize! For your chance to WIN this insect Mini-Builds bundle – including DRAGONFLY, LADYBIRD, HONEY BEE, and STAG BEETLE kits – simply enter your details below.  Build Your Own Mini-Builds … Read more

Review: There’s No Deer Around Here *WIN a copy of the book + badge!*

We’ve teamed up with Muddy Little Boots Publishing to offer this fabulous book prize! Perfect for younger readers, There’s No Deer Around Here follows the adventures of Jacob as he attempts to discover what or who has eaten all the plants in Granny’s vegetable patch.