Books Giveaways

Animals Abound in These Beautifully Illustrated Children’s Books {#KidLit Giveaway}

You might have noticed a theme in today’s children’s book roundup. Yes, these new releases from Quarto Kids are all about animals, but if you look a little closer, they all boast bold, beautiful illustrations as well. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and you can count on these picture books to reach and engage kids of all ages.

Click on the titles or covers to see these books on Amazon.

by Emily Hawkins & Lucy Letherland

Like the cover says, “Plunge into the depths of the ocean and discover wonderful sea creatures, incredible habitats, and unmissable underwater events.” The beautiful full-page colour illustrations will take kids on a guided tour of the world’s five oceans, explore their wonders, and discover the marvelous creatures living above and below the water.

From tropical shallows to the deepest undersea trenches, each page introduces readers to 32 different ocean locations and the fascinating creatures that make their homes there. Did you know that parrotfish sleep in slimy little sleeping bags they make from their own mucus to keep them safe from predators at night? Did you know that giant kelp can grow up to 24 inches a day? Or that the thick-billed murre can dive deeper than any other flying bird, over 650 feet under the surface of the Arctic Ocean?

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We love the 15″ x 11″ large format of this atlas! Its thick, oversized pages are ideally suited for kids to pore over while lying on the floor. Lucy Letherland‘s colourful yet muted ink illustrations bring each ocean environment to life with plenty of details to examine over and over again. Many of the spreads hide tiny touches of whimsy like a hammerhead shark carrying a bouquet of roses or a penguin in a bathing cap preparing to dive into the ocean.

Backmatter includes information about oceans in danger and what you can do to help foster healthy oceans. Extend the fun with a seek and find section in the back with images that kids can search for in the pages of the book.

by Martin Jenkins & Tor Freeman

Roll up, roll up, roll up! The Animal Awards are about to begin…

Within the pages of this fun and nifty book you’ll find portraits of fifty of the most talented creatures in the animal kingdom. Instead of a dry recitation of facts, this book uses an awards show format to teach kids fascinating facts about each species and what makes each of them so special. Find out who wins the Ridiculously Long (and Sticky) Tongue Award. Who will claim the title of Fussiest Eater? Who will win the Air Speed Record and how fast can he really go?

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This hardcover volume includes familiar subjects like wolves, lions, and tigers, as well as some lesser known species like Cuvier’s beaked whales, lyrebirds, and honey badgers. Each entry is packed full of information including where they live, lifespan, and what they eat. Award winners are featured in illustrations meant to evoke an old photo album. In Tor Freeman‘s humorous comic-style illustrations, every animal wears a smile, and his anthropomorphic creatures will undoubtedly make readers smile too.

by Jules Howard & Jarom Vogel

Drawn from locations near and far, hot and cold, dry and wet, meet over 300 representatives of the diverse animal kingdom. From the microscopic tardigrade to the massive blue whale, take a closer look at the animals that share the planet with us on the land, in the air, and in the water.

Colour-coded tabs on the side organize animals into their respective classes: invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Each section opens with a vibrant two-page scene featuring representatives of that class, followed by information about common characteristics and how to identify animals in that class. Individual entries for each animal include its common name, Latin (scientific) name, a short description, and its size, diet, and habitat.

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Attractive digital illustrations by Jarom Vogel capture the essential characteristics of each animal with colour and stylized shading. This is a book that demands to be flipped through over and over.

While not an exhaustive catalogue by any means, we like how the organization of entries by family and class (instead of in alphabetical order) helps children understand how species are related. For example, in the sample page above readers can easily tell that bonobos, orangutans, and gorillas are all members of the ape family, as well as members of the even larger class of mammals.

Win All These Books from Quarto Kids

Quarto Kids makes beautiful books that educate, entertain, and enrich the lives of kids worldwide, and they’ve generously offered the same set of children’s books we reviewed to one of our readers. Enter in the giveaway widget below. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the US, 18+. All the winner’s entries will be verified.

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Disclosure: I received sample items to facilitate this post. All opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ. This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

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