Fascinating Non-Fiction

Non-fiction for children just keeps getting better and better – engaging illustrations, fascinating facts and information that prompts critical thinking and questioning.

Here is a collection of seven brilliant books young readers will love!

Find out more from the publishers’ descriptions below:

Emperor of the Ice by Nicola Davies & Catherine Rayner (Walker) – January 2023

It’s April in Antarctica and, in places so remote that they can only be seen by satellites, lines of Emperor Penguins appear in search of the perfect ice for raising their chicks. A wise old Empress has returned to the ice at Halley Bay year after year; with the help of her mate, she works to protect her newly-laid egg against the bitter winter. But a changing climate is making the Antarctic Ocean warmer – winds are stronger and storms are fiercer…

With luminous illustrations and an introduction by climate scientist Dr Phil Trathan, this is the true story of how the Emperor penguin colony at Halley Bay was disrupted after the sea ice collapsed, and how it’s necessary to protect the environment so that these extraordinary survivors will continue to be found in the Antarctic for generations to come.

Big Feelings and What They Tell Us by Rebekah Ballagh (Allen & Unwin) – January 2023

Big Feelings helps children to explore different emotions so they can learn how to identify and manage them. With plenty of useful tips for caregivers too, reading this delightful rhyming story will create the perfect space to discuss feelings, both big and small. Rebekah Ballagh’s strong counselling background combines perfectly with her empathetic storytelling and adorable illustrations making it an essential guide for homes and schools.

The Extraordinary Book that Invents Itself by Alison Buxton, Helen Bell, Steamworks & illustrated by Pintachan (Weldon Owen) ~ February 2023

This book turns itself into rockets, code-breakers, bionic hands, balancing acrobats, demolition balls, constellation viewers and many more ingenious human inventions.

Each invention is introduced very simply, with the scientific and engineering principles behind it, and all the templates, tips and instructions to create it yourself.

A pull-out Inventors Handbook includes easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions and clever hacks to help every young inventor achieve success.

When I Grow Up, I Want to… Look After the Planet by Sarah Walden & illustrated by Flavio Remontti (Noodle Juice) ~ February 2023

It’s never too early to start getting excited about the future! Using simple language to explain different jobs, this charming book demonstrates to young children how different careers can help look after the planet. It includes roles such as zookeeper, food scientist and planet engineer as well as forester, conservationist and journalist. When I Grow Up is a series of four books each containing 13 different jobs that are involved in helping people, looking after the planet, the creative industries and STEM.

A Day in the Life of an Astronaut, Mars and the Distant Stars by Mike Barfield & Jess Bradley (Buster Books) ~ February 2023

Take a colourful and comical tour through our galaxy and beyond with this fun new comic collection from Mike Barfield and Jess Bradley.

Discover the poisonous clouds of Venus, the rings of Saturn and the raging storm on Jupiter. Venture inside nebulae, black holes, supernovas and far-flung galaxies. Find out about the historic figures who pioneered space travel, the animals who ventured to the stars so humans could follow and the ground-breaking technology that took them there.

With over 90 fun-packed entries, children will laugh as they learn about the wonders of the universe. Each entry uses a colourful comic-strip style to delight and inform young readers in equal measure.

Germs by John Devolle (Pushkin Press) ~ April 2023

The perfect picturebook to introduce little minds to big ideas! Why do grown-ups always tell you to wash your hands? How are antibodies like superheroes? Should you eat that old sausage you found in a coat pocket from last winter? Prepare to go on a journey through the mindboggling, yucky world of germs!

The Magnificent Book of Creatures of the Abyss by Bethanie and Josh Hestermann & illustrated by Val Walercuk (Weldon Owen) ~ April 2023

Dive into the deep to meet its weird and wonderful residents. Get up close to some of the extraordinary creatures that live thousands of feet beneath the ocean surface – from the barreleye fish with a transparent head to the seaworm that drops ‘bombs’ on its enemies. Intriguing facts accompany every illustration, so you can find out why the gulper eel has an inflatable mouth, how the dumbo octopus got its name and why the vampire squid turns itself inside out.

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Books by Kate Heap:

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