The Magnificent Book of Butterflies and Moths

‘Magnificent’ is a very good description of this book. Introducing the reader to some of the world’s most stunning species of butterflies and moths, the book is packed with information and gorgeous illustrations.

The presentation of the book is really ‘magnificent’! Each spread focuses on a different butterfly or moth, offering a beautiful, large illustration, a fact box, the Latin name and facts. The information is presented as bullet points with a silhouette of the creature to mark its place. A useful map of the world at the end of the book shows the location where each can be found and the size of each creature in comparison to a hand is indicated in the Fact Box.

There is so much to learn on every page whether you are a lepidopterist or someone just attracted to the book by its lovely cover. Not only poisonous, Cinnabar moths are sometimes cannibals. Fragile looking Glasswing butterflies might look fragile, but they can carry nearly 40 times their own weight. The Madagascan sunset moth is not only as beautiful as the name implies, but the colours on its wings are a warning to predators that it is poisonous whilst the Vampire moth drills into the skin of mammals with its proboscis.

An excellent addition to school school libraries or the perfect gift for anyone with an interest in these fascinating creatures, ‘The Magnificent Book of Butterflies and Moths’ is a real treat!

The Magnificent Book of Butterflies and Moths

Barbara Taylor, illustrated by Simon Treadwell

Weldon Owen ISBN: 978-1915588425

Published 7th March

You can read my review of ‘The Magnificent Book of Treasures: Ancient Rome’ here.

NNFN2023: The Magnificent Book of Treasures Ancient Rome

This stunning book is a treasure trove of information about life in Roman times. Each spread focuses on an historical artefact , offering a wealth of details including a fact file giving the current location of the object, where it was discovered, its size and the materials its made from.

The main body of the text is presented as bullet points, making it easy to pause and refer to the picture between reading each one and fully absorb the information. A wonderful range of objects covers all aspects of Roman life from the army to emperors from goddesses to music. A map at the end of the book shows not only the location of each artefact, but the extent of the Roman Empire at the height of its power.

An excellent addition to any topic box or bookshelf for those learning about the ancient Romans, this book is also fascinating in its own right. The careful drawings are sure to inspire further research and encourage readers to look for photographs of the objects and perhaps encourage visits to see them in real life- for example, the terracotta theatre mask or the bronze rattle which are now in the British Museum. A magnificent book!

The Magnificent Book of Treasures: Ancient Rome

Stella Cadwell, illustrated by Eugenia Nobati

Weldon Owen ISBN: 978-1915588135