Non-fiction books about Nature, for younger children

A lovely addition to any little person’s blossoming bookshelf, this is a great way to learn about our country’s wildlife and the illustrations are a treat for tiny art lovers. Be warned though, you’ll want to collect the entire set from Nosy Crow and the National Trust!

A robust and attractive lift-the-flap book answering all the questions youngsters might have about bees: where they come from, how they live, and why they are important in our world.

The rhyming text intentionally leads the child towards a wrong answer every time, and then the real answer is revealed under the large flap. With repeated reading, this might mean that children will learn the correct answer, remember it, and then get the pleasure of being right when they revisit the book. 

The great beauty and diversity of the coral reef is explored in this stunningly beautiful picture book, which is a true work of art. The rhyming non-fiction text scans well and the information about coral reef conservation is pitched at the right level.

This gorgeous large hardback explores what happens under the earth and in our oceans and seas in fantastically colourful and accessible double-page spreads. This is a really excellent example of nonfiction that is both comprehensive and fun.

This is a lovely discussion book for children who have an interest in animals and the natural environment.

A seed becomes a sapling, then a young tree, until, after many years, it grows into a large tree with roots and branches filling the page.

Did you know there are 400,000 species of beetle but only eight species of bear? Jam-packed with fun facts and figures, this is a glorious celebration of our world by non-fiction specialist Nicola Davies.

This large format book about nature features tough card pages full of brightly illustrated animals, organised by their special features: excellent for young readers building their vocabulary and learning about the natural world.

When we’re out and about, we probably walk past all manner of animal homes without even knowing it. A cute and charming board book, perfect for young nature fans at home or at school.

This box set of attractive concertina-style board books explores food chains in three different environments: the sky, the forest and the ocean. Crisp, stylish illustrations create a dynamic visual accompaniment to the simple yet informative text.

This wonderful, beautifully illustrated book about all things fishy (and ocean‑y) has a gentle sense of humour: presenting digestible facts, ideal for lower primary children, with a light-hearted twist. 

On a recent expedition to the Amazon, outdoor enthusiast Teddy Keen stumbled across a sealed metal container. Inside the box were sketchbooks and notebooks by an unknown adventurer. They have now been restored and pieced together in this treasure of a book.

A wide-ranging guide to all the ways that insects help regulate our environment and the roles they play in the natural world.

In the twentieth century, conservationists began to understand ecosystems, and scientists started to think about ways that humans could fix the problems that they had created. New technologies can help humans, as well as working with the indigenous communities who have always known how to work with and not against nature.

A beautiful book that is full of facts about birds and their amazing variety and skills.

Learn about the inner workings of our earth, including earthquakes, volcanoes, thunderstorms and tsunamis; animal life on earth; the earth regions and the impact of humans on the planet, including information on migration, population and sustainability in this comprehensive hardback book celebrating the biodiversity and structure of this fascinating planet.

This glorious book will introduce you to the bee world. It is fantastically illustrated in a cartoonish style that is big, bold and great fun.

A fantastic book detailing female animals across the spectrum of mammals, insects and sea creatures, and dispelling the myth of male superiority in nature.

This fun, colourfully illustrated non-fiction book explores the ways in which different creatures communicate with one another. It will delight, entertain and inform in equal measure.