Gill Arbuthnott (text), Marc Mones (illus.), A Beginner’s Guide to Life on Earth, Bloomsbury, 1 Nov 2015, 64pp., $17.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781472915733
This is an information book of biological logic, starting with cell structure and function, and moving from micro-organisms to plants to animals (at their most basic) before discussing great apes and humans. It’s heavily illustrated with humorous figures but does have the occasional photograph to enhance the text. Information is broken up into blocks under bolded headings. There’s a contents page, two random activities that don’t have a clear link to previous sections (growing broad beans in a florist’s block, and having slaters – called woodlice in here – as pets), a ‘find out more’ section, a glossary and an index. A basic introduction to biology for budding scientists.
Reviewed by Pam Harvey