posted on 21 Jan 2017

A First Book Of Nature by Nicola Davies illustrated by Mark Hearld

We probably review far too few non-fiction books for younger readers here on this site. I suspect that this has something to do with the way these books carry an association with school, education and general worthiness – which although pervasive is, in many cases now, totally unfair. This fabulous production by Nicola Davies and Mark Hearld is a timely reminder of what we’re really missing.

The book is big, bold, colourful and totally accessible for anyone from 5 and upwards – and I include myself in this cohort. What Davies has done, she reveals on the inside back flap of the jacket, is to imagine herself back to her childhood and to see nature through the eyes of that child:

“I cast off my grown-up self and found the me I was at five or six. Inside that younger self I could see the world as I saw it first – not just the sights and sounds of nature, but the feelings and thoughts about it that ran through me, strong as the tide. This book comes to you from that little girl, who sat in a barley field at dusk and felt the world turning.”

The contents of the book are set out under the headings of the four seasons – spring, summer, autumn and winter – and consist of simple but evocative verses that showcase the natural phenomenon associated with the different times of the year. It’s essentially and Arcadian vision, a sort of perfect incarnation that the child’s eyes would see – there’s no place here for mortality and decay.

And, of course, it’s the extravagant illustration that makes the book so very special. Artist, Mark Hearld captures the author’s vision to perfection. A graduate of the Glasgow School of Art and a student of Natural History Illustration at the Royal College, Hearld has specialised in depicting the natural world. He says of working on this book that it was ‘a joy to illustrate’ – and it shows.

If you are looking for a book that will introduce your child to the pleasures and diversity of the natural world this would be a great choice. But there’s also another reason to get this book for your child – it will introduce them to the idea of the sheer pleasure of a beautifully illustrated book. I say without hesitation that once they have experienced a book like this they will just want more.

 

Terry Potter

January 2017