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The Book of Planet Earth: Our World in 500+ Facts and Stories by Clive Gifford ill. Paul Boston

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 14 Oct 2026

Publisher: words & pictures, Quarto
ISBN: 9781805700661

Children’s publishers have surpassed themselves this year in providing the pre-Christmas market with lots of general interest non-fiction picture books. Here’s another ACHUKA is happy to recommend. Clive Gifford is a long-standing author of children’s non-fiction and all the bite-sized blocks of text here are highly readable and well-informed. Paul Boston’s illustrations are exactly that: illustrative and explanatory.

Rather than closing with a page of World Top 5 Records (longest rivers, highest mountains etc.), a better way to end might have been to return to the message of the opening What A Planet! section, the contents of the book having confirmed how special our planet truly is.

How much do clouds weigh? Why are there pink lakes? What is the ‘Ring of Fire’? And was Earth really formed from the body of an ice giant? Discover the answers to these questions and so much more! 

Brimming with incredible facts about the extraordinary world around us, The Book of Planet Earth looks at how the world works, how people thought about Earth in the past and the challenges our home faces in the future.

Covering a variety of subjects in a fun way, learn how time, space, nature, science and culture all play a role in shaping Earth into the world we all live in.

Along the way, you’ll learn fascinating facts about:

  • Earth’s place in space
  • The layers of our planet
  • Earthquakes, volcanoes and other geohazards
  • Our oceans
  • The weather and the atmosphere
  • Human’s impact on the environment and climate
  • What we can do to help the planet

Vibrant illustrations and fascinating nuggets of information make this book the perfect crowd-pleaser to entertain and amaze curious young minds. 

Absorbing, entertaining and surprising, The Book of Planet Earth will teach kidsto look at the world in a whole new way.

See more examples of Paul Boston’s work here: https://www.meiklejohn.co.uk/artist/Paul_Boston_MJN

 

Bright New World: How to make a happy planet by Cindy Forde

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“Filled with bold hope, a vision of a near future in which changed human habits, from eating to energy consumption, travel to architecture, have addressed the world’s most pressing problems. Beautiful and inspiring, it includes clear depictions of the perils facing the planet, but also how the solutions to each might be realised, alongside profiles of leading environmental innovators and young activists.” Guardian

A lavishly illustrated glimpse into a future not too far from our own time – a world in which today’s children have grown up and tackled the world’s most pressing social and environmental problems. In a series of lush, detailed scenes, readers will enter a world of solar-powered vehicles, regenerated rainforests, skyscraper farms, insect-based snacks, recovering coral reefs, wave-powered electricity, and much more.

The vision may be bold and optimistic, but everything in the book is based on genuine science, including many projects which are currently being developed. Once readers have seen the possible bright future, they will also learn all about the perils facing the Earth, as well as the solutions to each problem, with practical steps that they can take to help save the planet and make the dream a reality.

As well as profiling the biggest names in eco-innovation today, readers will learn about today’s young inventors, entrepreneurs and activists who are making the world better, one step at a time.

One World: 24 Hours on Planet Earth by Nicola Davies ill. Jenni Desmond

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 13 Apr 2022

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Where on Earth are you, right now? It’s late where I am and almost everyone’s asleep, but I’m awake, looking out into the night. Wondering…

As the clock strikes midnight, a little girl and her sister visit animals of every shape and size, all around the world, discovering that, in some places, creatures have just started their day, where in others they’re already busy hunting for food. Turning the popular concept of time-zones on its head and drawing on a powerful climate message and delightful illustrations, this book is narrative non-fiction at its most spellbinding.

Listen to the author and illustrator discuss the book on this Just Imagine podcast…

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And this interview with her is highly recommended:

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The Green Planet – BBC Earth by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe ill. Kim Smith

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This is our Green Planet: a hidden world where plants care for other plants and can smell, taste, touch, hear and even… ‘talk’.

Earth is dominated by plants, which outweigh all other life – from tiny duckweed floating in our ponds to giant sequoia trees towering above us. It’s easy to take plants for granted, but we depend on these light-eaters, oxygen-generators, and rain-makers for every breath of air and mouthful of food we take. But that’s not all. In the world of plants, time passes more slowly, but if we speed months into minutes we can peer into this hidden world and realise: it’s a battleground. Plants are working to thwart their enemies, and to trick animals into working for them.Right under your feet, and all around you, is a secret world you’ve probably never noticed. Until now. Let’s explore our Green Planet: a secret world of plants that might change how you see plants forever…

Discover all there is to love about our astonishing Green Planet, the stories of its inhabitants, and the challenges it faces. In collaboration with BBC Earth, this illustrated non-fiction book captures the intrigue, drama, and beauty of the groundbreaking new BBC TV series: The Green Planet.

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Kids vs. Plastic: Ditch the Straw and Find the Pollution Solution to Bottles, Bags, and Other Single-Use Plastics – National Geographic Kids

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Jam-packed with surprising information about plastic’s effect on the environment, plus loads of practical ways kids can cut down on their plastic footprint, this is the kids guide to being part of the pollution solution!

It’s in your toothbrush … your clothes … your earbuds. Chances are, you’re touching it right now. We’re talking about plastic! Plastic is absolutely everywhere and in practically everything we touch, from pens to water bottles to sports equipment. And a lot of it is used once and then thrown away. Unfortunately, it takes a REALLY long time for plastic to break down and it can be harmful to our environment, especially wildlife. But why and when did we start using it in so much stuff? And how do we stop?

Discover shocking stats and surprising facts; inspirational interviews with National Geographic explorers and leading researchers who are working tirelessly to protect the planet; tons of simple suggestions for sustainable swaps; and more eco-friendly choices. This book answers all of your burning questions about plastic and offers tangible ways to get involved, reduce plastic use, and create a more plastic-free future!