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A Wild Lullaby by Jackie Morris ill. Cathy Fisher

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 4 sep 2026

Publisher: Otter-Barry Books
ISBN: 9781915659934

See also (by the same author-illustrator team):
The Summer Puppy [ACHUKA Book of the Day 20 Jun 2025]
The Panda’s Child [ACHUKA Book of the Day 10 October 2023]

A third Book of the Day recommendation for this author-illustrator team. As this is very much a book for reading aloud, and Jackie Morris’s lullaby is loosely poetic rather than tightly rhyming and rhythmic, I would recommend the adult read it to themselves beforehand.

A mother sings to her child, describing the ways wild creatures across the world lull their babies to sleep – whales in the sea, fledgling ospreys in their nest, bear cubs in their ice den, seals on the shore, ponies on the heath, the snow leopard family in the high rocks, and tigers in the deepest jungle.

The lyrical story (“written for my grandchild, Cai, and for all young dreamers”). is enriched by Cathy Fisher’s gorgeous animal paintings, realistic yet magical, evoking a sense of tenderness and peace across our wild world.

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Fish Are Friends by Jules Howard ill. Gosia Herba

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 28 Jul 2026

Publisher: Wide Eyed
ISBN: 9780711296923

See also these other titles illustrated by Gosia Herba (who drew 729 fish for this book):
Invented By Animals [ACHUKA Book of the Day 1 May 2026]
 No One Is Home [ACHUKA Book of the Day 9 May 2025]
Powered By Plants [ACHUKA Book of the Day 11 Aug 2022]

“Funny, engaging and genuinely informative, this is a book that respects a child’s curiosity and gives it plenty to work with.” FennecAndFriends
“Zoologist, Jules Howard’s writing style is gently humorous as are Gosia Herba’s illustrations making the book very approachable for young readers to absorb a wealth of fascinating information almost without noticing.” RedReadingHub
“Prepare an afternoon (or several) to dive deep into this appealing and accessible carousel of sea creatures.” SLJ

ACHUKA is a big fan of Gosia Herba’s  style and she has illustrated this non-fiction title from Wide Eyed with a lot of verve.

Dive into a dazzling underwater world and discover just how important fish really are.  


 
Fish are FINTASTIC! No, really – they do so much for us. They help prevent diseases, build beaches, create medicines and balance entire ecosystems. Yet most people have no idea how incredible fish are . . .  


 
Follow your pufferfish guide through a wild, witty underwater adventure that reveals the brilliant skills, hidden superpowers and ecological importance of fish – and why they should never, ever be underestimated. 


Along the way, you’ll meet: 

  • The gulping guppies who help stop the spread of diseases like malaria by gobbling up mosquito larvae in village ponds. 
  • The herring shoals who’ve invented a smelly way to communicate – through farts, which even have different accents. 
  • The great white sharks who work diligently to stop smaller animals taking over foodchains, keeping the underwater eco-system in balance. 

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Once I was a Giant by Zeno Sworder

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 18 May 2026

Publisher: Thames and Hudson
ISBN: 9781760764913

See also:
This Small Blue Dot

“A magical blend of ancient and modern storytelling, reminding us that all things are deeply connected in ways both known and unknown.” Shaun Tan
“A love song, a protest march and a reminder that we are all a forest. This beautiful book draws attention to the small, the vast, and the interconnections across our world.” Jazz Money, poet
“A beautiful, wholly original story of hope and the more-than-human world. Once I was a Giant is a stunning blend of language and imagery that sits in the mind long after reading. This is the work of a master picture book creator.” Zana Fraillon

 

 
 
 
 
 
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When a picture-book maker runs out of stories, his pencil decides it’s time to tell her own… Here is the story of a green giant and a small wanderer who formed a friendship that spanned lifetimes..

Read a Q&A interview with the picture book’s creator here:
https://paperbarkwords.blog/2026/04/09/once-i-was-a-giant-by-zeno-sworder/

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Out and About: Wildflower Spotter: A children’s guide to 65 different wildflowers by Tegen Evans ill. Sarah Abbott

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 15 Apr 2026

Publisher: Nosy Crow Ltd
ISBN: 9781805135951

This pocket-sized guide—published with a National Trust seal of approval—is full of useful tips to help children spot and identify flowers in the wild.

Key Highlights:

  • Encouraging Exploration: Designed to inspire children to venture outside and explore nature, this book ignites the spirit of adventure and discovery.
  • Getting Started: Packed with valuable information, it provides the essential knowledge needed to identify flowers that can be found all over the UK, making it accessible and enjoyable for kids.
  • Field Guide Expertise: Inside, you’ll discover a comprehensive field guide section, structured by colour and brimming with expert insights on an array of wildflowers – from bright white snowdrops and scarlet-red poppies, to fluffy yellow dandelions and prickly green stinging nettles. Find out which flowers attract bees and butterflies, which ones are poisonous and which ones produce fruit.
  • Fun Activities: Discover how to plant your own wildflowers and how you can help protect them in nature.

Follow the Sheffield-based illustrator, Sarah Abbott, on
Click right on this particular post to see some of the page spreads in Wildflower Spotter:

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Sarah Abbott (@watersounds)

Here are some other books in Nosy Crow’s Out & About series:

Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature by AJ Wood & Mike Jolley ill. Owen Davey

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 14 Apr 2026

Publisher: Wide Eyed
ISBN: 9781805702207

See also illustrated by Owen Davey:
Zoom Out Natural World [ACHUKA Book of the Day 23 Jul 2025}
Fanatical About Frogs [ACHUKA Book of the Day 8 May 2023]
Curious About Crocodiles [ACHUKA Book of the Day 6 Jul 2021]

“For a more comprehensive discussion of the world’s profuse creatures and their ways and ecosystems….with chic illustrations by Owen Davey….[and] packed with short, informative paragraphs by Amanda Wood and Mike Jolley.”–Wall Street Journal
“An excellent resource to use in school or a hugely enjoyable book to have in a child’s home collection.” BfK
“Here is a museum for your lap, a museum for the home, the classroom, the library, a world of knowledge and fascination at your fingertips, a world beckoning you in and waiting to be explored.” Armadillo Magazine
“A perfect introduction to the mysteries of taxonomy and the natural world, culminating in a clarion call to preserve it.” Guardian
“A must buy for the family bookshelf, the school or college library; in fact for any organisation that cares about life and the interconnectedness of everything.” Red Reading Hub
“The attention to detail is riveting, filled with wide-ranging, in-depth content and beautiful production value.” NFU Countryside
“Stunningly illustrated and designed in quite an adult way. It features a sophisticated language, terminology and visual style, and so will probably appeal to older children who are already wildlife enthusiasts.” BookTrust
“There are dozens of beautiful nature books on the market, but this is stand-out: focussing on how and why animals look, behave and live as they do, it’s both information rich and beautifully illustrated.” Huffington Post

This is a breathtakingly good non-fiction title about the natural world, presented in the form of double spread colour-coded charts: yellow for habitats and environments; orange for plant and animal species; and blue for animal behaviour and adaptations. And it is so good to see it reissued ten years after its original publication.

Compiled by non-fiction experts. Amanda Wood was one of the founding directors of Templar and its principle publisher for over thirty years. Mike Jolley also worked for Templar, eventually becoming its art director.

Discover the interconnectedness of the natural world and learn why living things look and behave the way they do in a series of visually compelling information charts, maps and cutaways, all illustrated in a nostalgic, vintage style.

Packed with incredible facts about the natural world and the animals that populate it, the whole family will enjoy the full-page spreads grouped into the categories of habitats, species and adaptations.

Celebrate the extraordinary resourcefulness and resilience of the natural world with amazing facts about:

  • Habitats, ecosystems and biodiversity
  • Migrations, from the wildebeest of Africa to the red crabs of Christmas Island
  • All types of camouflage, from predator-dazing zebra stripes to the fur of the Artic fox, which changes to white in winter to match the snow
  • Life in the rainforest, the ‘lungs of our planet’
  • All sorts of seeds and their variety of ingenious designs
  • Life cycles of creatures, from butterflies to the curious axolotl 

A must-have title for all home libraries.

Follow Owen Davey on , where you will discover that he is also a game creator:

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The Wildest Thing by Emily Winfield Martin

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 9 Apr 2026

Publisher: Random House USA Inc
ISBN: 9798217023981

“The wild slips away, but Eleanor has changed. She’s smudged, leaf-covered, and newly “bloomed.” Luscious full-bleed spreads are graceful and expansive. Natural tones, especially springy greens, seem rife with possibility, while the visiting animals are charmingly bestial. Every aspect, like a bunny barrette hinting at Eleanor’s untamed potential, feels nuanced and purposeful. A dreamy homage that’s its own budding classic.” KIRKUS
“Soft, dreamy art in gouache combine with gentle colored-pencil lines of fur and grass to sweep viewers right into Eleanor’s imagination. Read this to the kid who always has dirt under their fingernails for a calming bedtime read and the kind of blurring of fantasy and reality that preps little ones for sweet dreams.” MUSE
“Employing a mix of colored pencil, gouache, and acrylic, subtly surrealistic renderings mingle natural and human elements for an effect that gestures toward Eleanor’s psychological transformation. A suitably untamed bedtime sequence winds down, yielding a thoroughly heartening portrait of a child abandoning inhibition.” PublishersWeekly

An enchanting picture book about a child finding their “wild” self.

What would you do if you let the wild in?

Eleanor loved wild things.
Every wing and wild sprout.

There was something wild inside of her,
waiting to come out…

The Wildest Thing beautifully expresses a timeless message about little ones unleashing their inner “wild” and encouraging their budding imagination and unique individuality.

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What Makes a Bird?: An Illustrated Guide to the Bird World by Nadeem Perera ill. Montse Galbany

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 3 Apr 2026

Publisher: Flying Eye Books
ISBN: 9781838742065

“Perera highlights both [birds’] universal characteristics (wings, beaks, feathers, two legs) and the many adaptations that have allowed them to survive in nearly every kind of habitat from oceans to cities and polar regions. Galbany follows suit with a bountiful gallery of species, all depicted in stylized but precise detail and in natural settings and attitudes but with plenty of inserted close-up views of distinctive beaks, nests, patterned feathers, and anatomical structures… 

An informative and engaging introduction to birds written by wildlife TV presenter and bird watcher, Nadeem Perera.

A richly illustrated book detailing everything that makes a bird a bird. Featuring birds from all over the world, and peppered with clear case studies on different bird species and punchy fact files on all things beaks, feathers, migration, nesting and more, the book also closes with a chapter on connecting with birds and becoming a birder.

Follow Montse Galbany—a digital illustrator and graphic designer living in Granollers, a city close to Barcelona—on

Here are more examples of the illustrator’s work:

The STEM Encyclopedia of Wildlife Words: An Illustrated a to Z of 100 Animal Terms for Kids to Know by Jenny Jacoby designed by Vicky Barker

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 31 March 2026

Publisher: b small publishing limited
ISBN: 9781916851689

 

 
 
 
 
 
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An illustrated encyclopedia covering the top 100 animal-related words that children ought to know. Organised in alphabetical order with each term beautifully and humorously illustrated, the essential concepts will fascinate scientifically minded animal-lovers.

There is a contents list at the front and a full index at the back, plenty of extra words and definitions … plus fascinating facts. 

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Jenny Jacoby is an experienced and respected non-fiction author of non-fiction titles for children. Here are some of her other books:

 

Butterflies: Colour in Flight by Jon Dunn ill. Georgina Taylor & Hanako Clulow

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 10 Mar 2026

Publisher: Hachette Children’s Group
ISBN: 9781510230941

Butterflies come in every colour of the rainbow. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black and white. But their vibrant wings aren’t just beautiful, they give each butterfly a special power too.

Over the years, butterflies’ wings have brightened, dulled and transformed as they adapt to their ever-changing environments, helping them survive and thrive through everything from the industrial revolution to the climate crisis.

Colours help butterflies camouflage and stay safe in their surroundings, making them disappear amongst vibrant flower petals and invisible against bronze tree trunks. Intricate patterns on their wings confuse and scare away predators, but they can attract the perfect mate too. And then there are some butterflies who are not in fact the colour the appear to be at all – instead they are iridescent and simply reflecting the light.

In this beautifully illustrated book, you’ll discover hundreds of different coloured and patterned butterflies from around the world and what makes them so special. You’ll also learn about butterfly life cycles, their sense of smell, taste and sight, flight and migration, as well as what butterflies mean to us and why they’re important players in our ecosystem.

You can follow the author on X. He is also an expert on orchids.

Hanaka Clulow is a New Zealand-based illustrator. Follow her account on

Georgina Taylor is a fabulous nature and wildlife illustrator based in South Africa. You can follow her too on

Make Every Week Wild: 52 Creative Activities for Outdoor Adventures by Fiona Danks & Jo Schofield ill. Anna Ivanir

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 18 Feb 2026

Publisher: Quarto Publishing PLC
ISBN: 9781836000273

I genuinely hope this book, designed to encourage outdoor play, finds an audience, but I can’t help but wish it had been made available in a cheaper, magazine-style format that would have made 1) parents from all backgrounds, not just affluent forestry school enthusiasts, more likely to buy it, and 2) children more willing to write and draw inside it.

More information about the two environmental educators behind the book here:
https://www.goingwild.net/about-us

This pleasingly-designed scrapbook is packed with 52 nature-inspired activities – one for every week of the year – and it’s designed to be taken outside, scribbled in and splashed with mud. 

There are NO RULES! You can colour outside the lines, do the activities in any order.

You will need a few simple supplies – scissors, glue, tracing paper, carboard, clay, pens, paints, string, jam jars, and wild materials like leaves – plus your wildest imagination, as this book becomes filled with keepsakes from your own outdoor adventures. 
 
Activities include: 

  • Creating crafty leaf collages and bark rubbings 
  • Forest bathing to wash away any worries 
  • Spotting birds at dawn with a wild breakfast 
  • Making natural stamps from something as simple as an apple 
  • Hunting for snails shells and sketching their spirals 
  • Crafting stick puppets for a shadow show 

Perfect for rain or shine, weekend adventures or quiet afternoons, these fun activities provide hours of screen-free entertainment all year round. Along the way, it is hoped, children will build confidence, creativity, and a deeper connection with the natural world.  

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