book cover

Nature's Fascinating Friendships

by Mike Hills, illustrated by Kerry Hyndman

Interest age: 9 to 11
Reading age: 6 to 8

Published by Faber & Faber, 2024

  • Non-fiction
  • Picture books

About this book

Did you know that some animals live and work together to make life a little easier for them both? In this brilliant, clear and fascinating book, Kerry Hyndman and Mike Hills explore symbiotic relationships in nature, from scary tarantulas who are homies with poisonous frogs, to fig wasps that pollinate figs and nobly die in the act. 

Presented in a large, full colour hardback, this lovely, thought-provoking, and original book explores an interesting concept within nature, with 34 different examples of symbiotic relationships from mangrove forests and crabs to ravens and wolves.

The chapters are themed by world region, including symbiotic relationships in North America, Europe, Asia, South America, Africa and Oceania, with a question-and-answer feature on every pair of creatures. At the end of the book, there’s a little section with some ideas about how we can all be friends to nature, even in small ways. 

This would be a lovely addition to a school or home library, and introduces the idea of cooperation in nature in an accessible and interesting way. Hyndman’s illustration hits just the right balance of realistic and beautiful, with some stunning pages that really celebrate creatures such as the Giant Galapagos Tortoise and the Bobtail Squid. 

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