How old is the earth?

McAnulty, Stacy. Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years. New York : Henry Holt and Company, 2017.
Informative. Amusing. Amazing. The earth speaks for itself in this brilliant picture book that describes the early beginnings of our planet. The continents. The ice ages. The plants and animals and human beings. All are included in this magnificently designed autobiography illustrated by David Litchfield. Additional information – including a list of sources – is included at the end of the book. Wonderful as a read-aloud, and highly recommended for readers 5 years old and up. 

More books to expand your general knowledge

Paris!

Take a trip to Paris
with these picture books!

Brunhoff, Laurent de. Babar’s Guide to Paris. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2017.
Babar advises his daughter Isabelle on all the sights to see on her travels to the famed city of Paris. A lovely travel guide for younger readers! [Elephants; Paris (France); Voyages and travels]

Egan, Tim. Dodsworth in Paris. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008. 

“When Dodsworth and the duck vacation in Paris, they have a grand time despite running out of money and accidentally riding their bicycles in the Tour de France.” – CIP. A cheerful and informative picture book for readers 7-years-old and up. [Ducks; Paris (France); Voyages and travels] 

Kraulis, Julie. An Armadillo in Paris. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2014. 

“Arlo feels it. The twitch in his left claw. The twitch that only stops when adventure begins…”  So starts this story of Arlo’s trip to Paris using the journal left to him by his grandfather Augustin. Arlo whizzes around the Arc de Triomphe, eats croissants in a cafe, visits the Louvre, watches boats pass underneath the bridges along the Seine, visits the Luxembourg Gardens, and gazes in wonder at the Eiffel Tower. The book’s illustrations – in oils and graphite – bring whimsical delight to a picture book recommended for children ready for an adventure of their own even if it is only in their imagination. 

 

Rubbino, Salvatore. A Walk in Paris. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2014. 

An illustrated guide sure to appeal to readers young and old.

Find more stories set in Europe HERE.

 

Rivers of the World

September 24th is World Rivers Day!

Peters, Merilee. Ten Rivers That Shaped the World. Toronto: Annick Press, 2015.

The Nile. The Amazon. the Mississippi. The Tigris and Euphrates. The Thames and Rhine in Europe. The Yangtze and Ganges in Asia. The Zambezi and Awash in Africa. These 10 rivers have changed the course of history. And they still affect life today. 10 Rivers That Shaped the World, an easy-to-read book full of anecdotes, coloured photographs, maps, and drawings, is highly recommended for all readers – 11 years old and up – who enjoy expanding their general knowledge.

Did you know?

3,000 species of freshwater fish have been discovered in the Amazon.

Ancient Egyptians were the first people in the world to pay taxes, which were based on the height of the Nile floods: higher floods meant greater harvests which led to higher taxes.

The nursery rhyme of London Bridge falling down may recall the Viking invasion of 1014.

Musicians on riverboats helped spread jazz and blues north along the Mississippi in the early 20th century.

Find more books about rivers HERE

Where in the world?

Mizielinska, Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielinska. Maps. Somerville, Mass.: Big Picture Press, 2013.
Expand your general knowledge with this creative book of maps. All of the continents and many countries are depicted in hand-drawn illustrated maps showing not only geographical features but also famous people, foods, sports, plants and animals, and tourist sites. In fact, everything that you might want to include in your own general knowledge of the world as well as coloured drawings of 83 national flags. First published in Poland, this English translation is highly recommended for readers 8 to 80 years old.

Click HERE for lists of places to know.

Click HERE to practise your knowledge of world geography. 

 

What in the World?!

Richards, Jon and Ed Simkins. People on Earth. New York: Crabtree Publishing, 2017.

What is the most commonly spoken language on earth?
What is the most common language used on the internet?
What are the fastest growing countries on earth?
What countries are preferred by international tourists?
What countries give workers the longest paid holidays per year?
Learn all sorts of amazing facts in this 32-page book of charts and maps.

Recommended for inquisitive readers 10 years to 100 years old.

More titles in the Mapographica series:
The Human-Made Earth
The Natural World
Art, Culture, Sports

 

Just for today…

Just for today,…

challenge yourself:  explore the world!

Click HERE for your guide to world geography.

,,,

Amazon Rain Forest

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go!” – Dr. Seuss

Sahara Desert

“Everywhere’s been where it is ever since it was first put there. It’s called geography.”
– Terry Pratchett

Mauna Loa

“Can you see the sunset real good on the West side? You can see it on the East side too.”  – S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders

Uluru

“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time”
– T.S. Elliot