Wednesday 23 September 2015

A FIRST BOOK OF NATURE BY NICOLA DAVIES



I have put off writing about A First Book of Nature by Nicola Davies for quite a while. I bought it about six months ago and while I fell in love with it, my children didn't. School boy wasn't interested at all. And while the preschooler was happy to have a look through it a few times together, that was it.

I've tried a few times since then to engage her, and while she likes some of the pages - rainbows! - she hasn't connected to it in a meaningful way. And because of this, I wouldn't normally write about this book. After all, I only like to include recommendations on what the children really love.

But I can't let it go. And I won't. It's a beautiful book and sometimes it just takes the children a little while to be the right age or frame of mind. This has happened with Wind in the Willows and Where the Sidewalk Ends. And I really think that my daughter will come around. After all, she loves nature, and animals.










The book is split into seasons and then topics, such as frogs in spring. Some of them hold her interest more than others - rainbows! The text can be a little dream-like in places, which doesn't seem to hold the attention of a four-year-old. Neither does the poetry. But, for now, it can be a book that we dip into every now and then.







I am sure she will come around. And if she doesn't? Well, that's okay too because I enjoy it. And sometimes with more reference-style books, I believe some of them will become useful in later school years when used in the context of drawing or painting. As with Where the Sidewalk Ends, my son was non-plussed initially but when he took it into school and his teacher was excited by it, he started to view it differently. Sometimes that's all it takes.




images the indigo crew

1 comment:

  1. Oh this book is up my street. Thanks for the honesty too. Guess the same is true for us (books resonating more at certain times). i love the winter pic in particular

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