About the book
Nicola Davies, the award-winning author of A First Book of Nature, presents a spellbinding treasury of poems about the animal world, illustrated in breathtaking detail by Petr Horáček. Polar bears playing on the ice, tigers hunting in the jungle, fireflies twinkling in the evening sky and nightingales singing in the heart of the woods – there are animals everywhere. From blue whales to bumblebee bats and everything in between, A First Book of Animals takes you all over the planet to visit all kinds of different creatures. This book is a glorious celebration of life in the wild in all its variety and splendour, and belongs on every child's bookshelf.
What did the judges think?
"It is an absolutely stunning book. Children will be riveted by this book. It is beautifully illustrated and the text is basically poetry. I can imagine young children sitting listening to that being read to them. This book will get more children interested in science and interested in asking questions about the world around them. Some children do not naturally gravitate towards conventional science books or text books but you would struggle to find a young child who would not be absolutely engrossed in this book."
About the author
Nicola Davies is an award-winning author, whose many books for children include A First Book of Nature, Tiny, The Promise, Ice Bear, Big Blue Whale, Dolphin Baby, Just Ducks, Poo and the Heroes of the Wild series. She graduated in zoology, studied whales and bats and then worked for the BBC Natural History Unit. Nicola lives in Abergavenny, Wales. Visit Nicola at www.nicola-davies.com, or follow her on Twitter under the handle @nicolakidsbooks.
About the illustrator
Petr Horáček trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague before becoming a graphic designer, painter and author-illustrator. His titles Strawberries Are Red and What Is Black and White? won the Books for Children Newcomer Award in 2002. Born in Czechoslovakia, Petr now lives in Worcester with his wife and two daughters. Visit Petr at www.petrhoracek.co.uk, or follow him on Twitter under the handle @PHoracek.
Nicola Davies
