Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature

Gr 3 Up—A "cabinet of curiosities" in book form meant to be browsed through rather than read cover to cover or used strictly as a reference. While some elements of the elegant design and illustrations are a bit retro, the volume contains a wealth of up-to-date information and facts about habitats and species. Each chartlike page displays some aspect of nature, from the many varieties of feathers or leaf shapes to the ecosystems of the Arctic and rain forest. The slipcover folds out into a wall poster of birds, insects, and migrators, and three colors of ribbon bookmarks emerge from the binding to facilitate navigation. Color-coded arrows visually refer readers to other pages on related subjects. The digitally created illustrations resemble traditional media with a subtle, sophisticated palette, adding to the symbiosis of old and new design techniques. The index lists species names but not some of the concepts mentioned, such as photosynthesis or camouflage. There is a chart devoted to skeletons and skulls yet neither word appears in the index.