- 30+ books on insects and invertebrates<\/a><\/li>
- Best David Attenborough books<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Best wildlife books of 2024<\/h2>
Homecoming: A Guided Journal To Lead You Back To Nature<\/a><\/em><\/h3>
- Melissa Harrison<\/li>
- Weidenfeld & Nicolson<\/li>
- \u00a0\u00a320<\/li><\/ul>
Plenty of guides discuss the wheres and whens of\u00a0wildlife\u00a0watching\u00a0\u2013\u00a0this one\u2019s more about\u00a0noticing<\/em>.\u00a0Melissa Harrison\u00a0calls it a\u00a0\u201cdoing book\u201d, and in brilliantly\u00a0down-to-earth\u00a0fashion invites us to take time out and reconnect with the more-than-human world around us. Full of\u00a0seasonal nature prompts, with space to write in your own experiences,\u00a0Homecoming<\/em>\u00a0is as much a manual for rewilding yourself as an introduction to Britain\u2019s natural riches.<\/p>
This is a warm and welcoming book too, thanks to\u00a0lovely\u00a0watercolours\u00a0by\u00a0Amanda Dilworth. Rather like going on a ramble with the best kind of friend\u00a0\u2013\u00a0one who\u2019s deeply engaged with nature and can\u2019t wait to share it all.<\/p>
Another joyful book on nature connection is\u00a0Ebb and Flow<\/em>\u00a0(Bloomsbury,\u00a0\u00a320), written and illustrated by Tiffany Francis-Baker. Packed with seasonal\u00a0ID guides, recipes and mindful, nature-inspired activities, this is the perfect gift.<\/p>
- Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
The Starling<\/a><\/em><\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/10\/The-starling.png\")
<\/figure>- Stephen Moss<\/li>
- Square Peg<\/li>
- \u00a314.99<\/li><\/ul>
Stephen Moss is one of our most prolific nature writers, whose easy-reading, companionable prose style makes his books bestsellers.\u00a0The Starling\u00a0<\/em>delves into the life of one of Europe\u2019s most familiar yet threatened birds, which, as Moss points out, is ironically an invasive pest in other parts of the world. It\u2019s the sixth in his smart series of\u00a0\u201cbird biographies\u201d, and delivers the same winning formula: an engrossing compilation of ornithological tidbits, cultural anecdotes, literary quotes and well chosen historical artwork.<\/p>
- Buy from WH Smith<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
One Garden Against The World<\/a><\/em><\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/10\/One-garden.png\")
<\/figure>- Kate Bradbury<\/li>
- Bloomsbury<\/li>
- \u00a0\u00a318.99<\/li><\/ul>
Wildlife gardener Kate Bradbury\u2019s second memoir, following\u2019s\u00a0The Bumblebee Flies Anyway<\/em>\u00a0(2018), is equally heart-on-the-sleeve. And it is\u00a0wonderful<\/em>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0the kind of book that will make you smile,\u00a0laugh, shake your head and cry, often in quick succession. Bradbury looks back on a year of record global temperatures in which she found\u00a0myriad tiny ways\u00a0to make a difference for nature on her doorstep. Refusing to give up, she\u00a0galvanises\u00a0herself and the local\u00a0community\u00a0\u2013\u00a0and shows how we can too.<\/p>
- Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
The Accidental Garden<\/a><\/em><\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/10\/Accidental-gardener.png\")
<\/figure>- Richard Mabey<\/li>
- Profile Books<\/li>
- \u00a0\u00a312.99<\/li><\/ul>
More than anyone, it was Richard Mabey who kickstarted\u00a0Britain\u2019s resurgence\u00a0of interest\u00a0in writing about nature, in books such as\u00a0Food for Free<\/a><\/em>\u00a0(1972) and\u00a0The Unofficial Countryside<\/a><\/em>\u00a0(1973). His latest unpicks the evolution of his rural Norfolk garden over the past 20 years, against a backdrop of climate change and the writer\u2019s own advancing years. This is classic Mabey: witty and wise, mixing profound concern about the environment with delight at the way in which nature never fails to surprise us.<\/p>
- Buy from Blackwells<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Infinite Life<\/a><\/em><\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/10\/Infinite-Life-book.png\")
<\/figure>- Jules Howard<\/li>
- Elliott&Thompson<\/li>
- \u00a320<\/li><\/ul>
Science writer and frequent radio show panellist Howard is back with more brain food, this time a clever story about animal evolution<\/a>, told from the perspective of how eggs<\/a> have developed and changed\u00a0over hundreds of millions of years. \u201cThe joy of eggs,\u201d\u00a0he explains,\u00a0\u201cis that they sit between the boundary lands of life and death. They represent potential.\u201d<\/p>
- Buy from Waterstones<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Enchanted Creatures<\/a><\/em><\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/10\/Enchanted-creatures.png\")
<\/figure>- Natalie Lawrence<\/li>
- Weidenfeld & Nicolson<\/li>
- \u00a0\u00a320<\/li><\/ul>
This terrific, wide-ranging book explores why humans have always created monsters and\u00a0will appeal to anyone with an interest in\u00a0natural history, as well as\u00a0myths and the supernatural. Lawrence digs deep into our subconscious to ask what this imaginary fauna, from dragons and deep-sea kraken to cave beasts and snake women, can tell us about ourselves.<\/p>
- Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Cull of the Wild<\/a><\/em><\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/10\/Cull-of-the-Wild.png\")
<\/figure>- Hugh Warwick<\/li>
- Bloomsbury<\/li>
- \u00a0\u00a318.99<\/li><\/ul>
Culling wildlife is something many\u00a0conservation\u00a0organisations do, but would prefer we don\u2019t talk about. To his great credit, Warwick gives an\u00a0expertly\u00a0researched, engaging and even-handed account of the complexities involved in the decision to\u00a0\u201ccontrol\u201d \u2013\u00a0that is, kill or eradicate\u00a0\u2013\u00a0everything from grey squirrels to\u00a0hedgehogs and\u00a0pythons.<\/p>
- Buy from Hive<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Nature\u2019s Ghosts<\/a><\/em><\/p>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/10\/Natures-ghost.png\")
<\/figure>- Sophie Yeo<\/li>
- \u00a0HarperNorth<\/li>
- \u00a0\u00a322<\/li><\/ul>
Yeo takes us on an exhilarating ride back and forth in time, as she reveals how humans have transformed the face of Britain and nearby Europe. She\u2019s a fantastic writer, and marshals a huge, sweeping narrative to shed light on what the land was once like and how we might in future create landscapes with a greater abundance of wild things in them.<\/p>
Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/p>
Best children’s wildlife books<\/h3>
Return of the Wild: 20 of Nature\u2019s Greatest Success Stories<\/a><\/em><\/p>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/10\/Return-of-the-Wild.png\")
<\/figure>- Helen Scales<\/li>
- Laurence King<\/li>
- \u00a0\u00a316.99<\/li><\/ul>
Perhaps the trickiest part of writing about nature for children is covering environmental issues without terrifying your readers. After all, fears about the planet\u2019s future are not confined to older generations. Eco-anxiety<\/a>\u00a0is increasingly seen in primary schools.<\/p>
Return of the Wild<\/em>\u00a0deals with this conundrum by, first of all, looking spectacular, with immersive full-page artworks by illustrator duo\u00a0\u2018Good Wives\u00a0And\u00a0Warriors\u2019. These frame 20 hopeful stories of species rescue from around the globe by biologist and science writer Helen Scales.<\/a> The species featured are mostly\u00a0charismatic\u00a0\u2013\u00a0tigers<\/a>, kiwis, humpback whales<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0yet she doesn\u2019t shy away from the problems of habitat loss, pollution, introduced species and a changing climate.<\/p>
A separate section covers different habitats and their key threats. Aimed at readers age 9\u201311,\u00a0Return of the Wild<\/em> manages to be lush,\u00a0honest\u00a0and empowering\u00a0\u2013\u00a0a difficult balancing act.<\/p>
- Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
The Animal Body Book<\/em><\/a>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/10\/The-animal-body-book.png\")
<\/figure>- Jess French<\/li>
- DK<\/li>
- \u00a0\u00a320<\/li><\/ul>
Qualified vet, children\u2019s writer and former CBeebies presenter Jess French returns with a fascinating inside-out survey of the animal kingdom. The highlight of this highly original book are incredible cutaways that demonstrate the\u00a0anatomy of hummingbirds, giraffes, tortoises and much more besides.\u00a0Fabulous\u00a0colourful\u00a0design, eye-popping facts and clear descriptions of the main body systems, such as respiration or digestion, make it a winner. Intended for readers age 5\u20139, but most adults will learn a thing or two!<\/p>
- Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
- Buy from Hive<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
- Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
- Buy from Waterstones<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
- Buy from Blackwells<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
- Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
- Buy from WH Smith<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
- Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
- Best David Attenborough books<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/10\/Autumn-feast.png\")
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