NNFN2024: Foraging

‘Foraging: A Complete Guide for Kids and Families’ makes a perfect book for NNFN2024 as it is sure to encourage children- and their families- to engage in a new hobby! Packed with advice and activities, it is a cornucopia of inspiration for engaging with nature and the bounties it offers.

Although it makes the point that nature doesn’t fall neatly into categories, the book is presented in sections to help readers locate information about fruits and berries, plants and bushes, flowers and trees. Photos of each focused plant accompany the text which explores its appearance, where it can be found, its scientific and common names, the parts you can eat, when best to pick it before looking at what you can do with it. Terms are clearly explained and there are little challenges scattered throughout.

At every stage, the book encourages curiosity and exploration, offering details to notice and look for, as well as plenty of advice on how to forage safely and sustainably, looking after the environment as much as the individual. A section on poisonous plants at the end of the book flags some of the dangerous plants which budding foragers might come into contact with.

Not only does the book offer recipes to try, including drinks, foods, salves and balms, it also includes a wealth of folklore, historical details and fascinating facts. It really is a book to engage, entertain and educate the whole family whilst encouraging them to spend time together and develop an appreciation for, and love of, the natural world. When I was little, we used to love ‘blackberrying’ with Grandma- and this book takes that to another level!

Foraging: A Complete Guide for Kids and Families

Stella and Dane De Luca Mulandiee, illustrated by Elly Jahnz

Puffin ISBN: ‎ 978-0241654569

2023 Nature Month-by Month: A Children’s Almanac

According to the Oxford Dictionary, an almanac is ​a book or digital resource that is released every year giving information for that year about a particular subject or activity. As this fascinating book explains, the first almanacs were created by the Ancient Egyptians about 3,000 years ago, containing lists of dates that were thought to be lucky or unlucky. This ‘ Nature Month-by-Month’ almanac is the perfect accompaniment to having fun, learning and discovering nature as the year unfolds.

Each month starts with a special section outlining the special days and anniversaries ahead before a line or two of poetry introduces more information - the birth signs associated with the month, how it got its name, birthstones and birth flowers, for example. This is followed by a section on ‘Festival Fun’, some activities and- as you might expect- a focus on nature!

Published in collaboration with The National Trust, this is the perfect size for popping in a bag to take on an adventure! Bursting with useful information and fascinating facts, this Month by Month almanac is sure to be a hit at home and at school. I wonder how many eagle-eyed children will spot the references to the Queen’s and Prince Charles’s birthdays and the information about his being next in line to the throne- perfect for encouraging discussions!

There are lots of lovely activities to try, including some tasty recipes, and some colourful pages at the end have been left blank for the reader to add their own notes. ‘2023 Nature Month-by-Month: A Children’s Almanac’ would make a wonderful stocking filler or gift for Christmas. Bright, fun illustrations are scattered throughout the book, this is a book which will encourage children to get active and engage with nature.

2023 Nature Month-By-Month: A Children's Almanac

Anna Wilson, illustrated by Elly Jahnz

Nosy Crow in collaboration with The National Trust

ISBN: 978-1839945380