The changing of the seasons is something we all look forward to and dread in equal measure. I’m not wildly mad about winter, but I can’t resist a nice crisp autumn day. The seasons are something we talk about a lot with our son and I imagine we are not alone in that. On walks to school and to the park we chat about the changes in the trees, the wildlife we see and the signs of the changing seasons.
We were sent a copy of A Year in Nature by Hazel Maskell. It’s a carousel book of the seasons, I didn’t really know what that meant until I opened it up. It’s a kind of pop up book where you open it up so the front and back cover are touching each other (you can tie the covers together with the attached ribbon), and you stand the book up and it shows the four seasons in glorious pop up detail.
Written by Helen Maskell and illustrated by Eleanor Taylor, A Year in Nature is a truly beautiful introduction to the seasons; follow a family of foxes through the year, watching the cubs grow and thrive as the seasons change around them.
Each page is heaving with detail, with counting and spotting activities and bite-size facts “caterpillars hatch from butterfly eggs. Each makes a hard case, or chrysalis. Inside it turns into a butterfly.” A Year in Nature allows you to explore the woodland scenes, discovering animals, trees, plants and flowers as you go.
This would make a very special gift for a child, or maybe as a really great talking point for a group of children, perhaps at school. It’s the kind of book you can dip in and out of as the year goes by. Take time to examine each page, to see the changing colours and how the wildlife evolves. It’s a really beautiful book. So beautiful that it’s an actual work of art.
A Year in Nature by Hazel Maskell is a very special book, rich in detail and a real visual feast for children. It’s suitable for ages 6+ and is more robust than you may think. My 7 year old absolutely adores reading this book and doing the counting and spotting activities in it. It’s a real keepsake and would make a wonderful Christmas present for any nature loving child.
A Year in Nature by Hazel Maskell costs £16.99. It’s published by Laurence King and it is available from a wide range of bookshops including Amazon.
For details of more children’s books published by Laurence King, visit their website.