My Encyclopedia of Very Important Things

This book has a tag line that couldn’t be more perfect for us, “For little learners who want to know everything”. My Encyclopedia of Very Important Things from DK Books is a book packed full of facts for ages 4 and up.

Even in this age of instant information there is definitely still a place for using books to discover new things and this is a perfect introduction to an encyclopedia for young children.

The book is split into 6 sections of very important things which are detailed on the contents pages:

• Very important things about my planet – This section covers information about Earth and space to water and weather. There are some brilliant illustrations and diagrams of the sea and land that explain the make up of the planet as well as things that fascinate everyone such as volcanoes and earthquakes.

• Very important things about places – A wonderful trip around the 7 continents through postcards of photos, facts and significant places. We also find out about where some things come from, my four-year-old particularly liked seeing the cocoa plant in Africa!

• Very important things about animals – This section is divided brilliantly, it explains the different categories that animals fit in to before looking at them in more depth including a great page on dinosaurs. There are pages exploring animal habitats as well as a beautiful diagram of how a caterpillar turns in to a butterfly.

• Very important things about people – From the very first cave people and ancient civilisations, this section details the development of the human race. Inventors, scientists, feats of engineering and space travel are all covered here as well as a look at different festivals and celebrations around the world.

• Very important things about me – A brilliant section that explains the body, what it’s made up of, how it works and how it gets better. Beyond these basics of biology this section goes further and looks at the way we communicate, plan our lives and the skills we can develop.

• Other very important things – Lastly, this section is for all the other wonderful facts, figures and information about the world that will fascinate little ones. Precious gems, musical instruments, star signs and much more. At the end there are some great lists, top 10s about animals and the world.

A vibrant book that is full of colour, with a mixture of illustrations and photographs each page is eye-catching and will appeal to young children who are still learning to read.

It would make a perfect addition to a class or school library and also contains many features of non-fiction books that children are often asked to identify at school; contents, sub-headings, an index etc.

For young children, owning a book like this feels special. It’s chunky, with a hard cover and glossy pages. A joy to flick through, full of pictures and the answers to many many questions. The front cover even has foil images and raised text so it is tactile and feels lovely to run your hand over. A perfect book for young children to find answers to their questions, peak their interests and inspire them.

Many thanks to DK Books for sending  copy of this book for review.

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