12 Apr Book Review: Our Favourite Animal Atlases For Kids

Are your kids at the age where they want to know all of the things? These three animal-loving books are sending us right back to our primary school days. And we are LOVING it. 

One of the perks of working at CHILD Mags is the unlimited number of new release books that come across our desks each day. Over the past few weeks, we’ve noticed a trend – there are a lot of beautifully illustrated and informative animal atlases! Although all this information is easily accessible online, there’s something about the unique illustrations, the feel of paper and the obvious TLC that goes into creating the books that makes our hearts sing.

Here are our top three picks on the atlases we think should join your library:

Aquatica: A Beginner’s Field Guide by Lance Balchin

Set in the year 2200, this book (by an Aussie author!) is an imagined atlas of animals of the future. Because of pollution and radioactive waste, the environment has collapsed and the oceans are now teeming with fish that are part animal, part machine. Filled with vivid illustrations, an anatomy profile and history, this book manages to meet the balance between science and imagination, whilst reminding us of the beauty of our environment and the need to protect it.

P.S. Aquatica is the second book in a series. The first one was Mechanica, which we loved so much that we reviewed it in our February issue!

 Get it at Five Mile

Wild Animals of the South by Dieter Braun

This book is filled with gorgeous illustrations of animals in the Southern Hemisphere. Region 4 is dedicated to native Aussie animals, where the illustrator perfectly captures what makes our animals unique – from the vibrant rose colours of the Galah (or the Eolophus roseicapilla, according to the atlas!) to the eerie reality of the half-submerged Saltwater Croc.

Find it at Flying Eye Books

The Australian Animal Atlas by Leonard Cronin & Marion Westmacott

Written by one Australia’s foremost natural history authors and illustrated by an Aussie illustrator, this book is a comprehensive guide on all of our country’s wildlife and different landscapes. From the arid deserts to the lush rainforests, this book is full of fascinating information and lifelike illustrations that explore all sorts of animals like the fish that walks and the deadly adder.

Find it at Allen & Unwin

Image by Dieter Braun