Evolution: A Celebration of Beautiful Animals

by William Spring

This stunning book shows how a variety of amazing creatures have evolved to look and behave the way they do.

From the familiar but imposing American bison to the elusive narwhal, the animals of the globe have all been touched by evolution, developing unique and fascinating traits to ensure their survival. In this deeply informative and gorgeously illustrated compendium of some of the world's most unique animals, celebrate the way all living things have adapted for survival in astonishing and beautiful ways.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals

112 pages, Hardcover

Published October 15, 2024

About the author

I'm Will Spring: photographer, artist, and, under the pseudonym Gabriel Alborozo, author and illustrator of numerous children's books. I have over 35 years of professional experience in the creative industries.

Throughout my career, beginning at 15 as a cartoonist for Private Eye, Punch and The Spectator, I've had the privilege of bringing stories and ideas to life through a wide variety of media.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a stunning book. Geared towards the 9-12 year old set, adults would love it, too. Gorgeous illustrations coupled with fascinating evolutionary details of each animal (and refreshing but gentle honesty about why most are endangered -- deforestation/habitat loss due to animal agriculture). Beautiful enough to grace a coffee table, this would make a wonderful gift for animal-loving kids and adults.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful and striking book even from just the cover.
Every page was full of fascinating facts and highlighted with the most gorgeous illustrations I've seen of wildlife.
They have such depth and realism the artist / author obviously felt great passion for his subject and that was portrayed by his art and the accompanying text.
I was saddened to read at the back of the book that during it's composition the author was losing the sight in one eye.
He has great skill for his subject.
Absolutely adored this, such an informative read.

[Tilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

I was so excited for this stunning book and I am happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

Beautiful: A Celebration of Evolution is a HUGE hardback book with just over 100 pages. It is definitely a book for children of around 10 years and over but I still loved reading it and learned some interesting facts and even some new amazing animals!
I have to say that the illustrations by the author William Spring are utterly stunning. They are a joy to look at and each one was so detailed and perfect! It is a huge plus for this book to see such wonderful artwork of these unique animals.
The book has a two page spread for each animal, usually with the illustration taking up a whole page. The information is succinct and informative and I really enjoyed learning a decent amount from it.
Some of the weird and wonderful animals included include lesser known animals like the Aye-Aye, Chambered Nautilus, Fangtooth Fish, Colugo and Fossa. As well as more well known animals like the giraffe, wild boar, hippo, tapir and narwhal. I loved the array of species chosen and thought it was a wonderful mix.

I did wish that there were maps for each creature to show where they are from so that it didn't have to be included in the writing and therefore taking up space where more interesting information could have been.
I also found it rather depressing for a Children's book as at the end of pretty much every animal's information the author writes how endangered they are, why and how future issues like cliamte change will harm them further. This was said basically every time and it became very repetitive. I wish the author had used that space for more information on the animal and then at the end of the book written a page about future dangers for these creatures as a whole.

Overall, a wonderful books that I really enjoyed reading. I cannot wait to read it again with my nephew as well! Definitely a great coffee table book for adults and children and a wonderful book for all animal lovers!

Please note that I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Geraldine Croft · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stunning shoebill on the front cover and breathtakingly beautiful, watercolour illustrations for each awesome creature are unique works of art for readers of all ages to feast their eyes on - the fascinating, evolutionary facts are the icing on the cake. The alphabetical adventure starts with the Aldabra Giant Tortoise and ends with the Wild Boar with tantalising offerings like The Fangtooth Fish and Pink Fairy Armadillo in between – over 100 glorious pages affirming that ugly does not apply in nature. The text is really engaging – like the adorable Aye Aye rhythmically tapping away on a branch in a percussive forage for supper and scooping up dollops of deliciousness with its elongated middle finger evolved for exactly this purpose. The simple glossary is perfect for the target 9 – 11 age group and A Note from the Artist is a moving and heartfelt conclusion to the book. Beautiful – A Celebration of Evolution will be treasured by lovers of The Natural World and is an incredible introduction to the wonders of the wild for inquisitive younger readers with lessons to be learnt about climate change, conservation and protecting endangered species against the threat of extinction. Educational, eye-opening, enthralling – and highly recommended!

[astrid— d · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book which befits its title in every way.
It is in a large format and the white cover has gold lettering with a superb watercolour showing the head of a spoonbill.
The book starts with a short introduction explaining the basics of evolution and why each and every living thing today is a marvel created over billions of years of evolution. The emphasis is on protecting and caring for all living creatures.
Most of the next hundred pages or so feature some of the animals which inhabit both the land and the sea. Each animal is given a double page spread with a wonderful watercolour illustration and some text describing it and why it has developed certain characteristics. It is written in a very engaging manner which immediately grabs the attention.
This book is marketed for years 9+ and I can see that it can be very appealing for the older child and adults alike.
A beautiful book which covers both the familiar and the unfamiliar to promote an interest in the natural world.
An asset for any person’s coffee table, a must buy !

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a glorious celebration of some of the most unique and interesting animals on our planet. Not only is the book a visual treat, with the most beautiful illustrations, there is a detailed and fact-filled write up for each animal that is chosen. As soon as the book arrived my daughter (12yo) was immediately immersed. She then kept quoting parts from the book at me, which is always a good sign! This is a wonderful book that you will go back to time and time again and it will appeal to all ages. I could see this being used by teachers for art, science, geography. The thing we both enjoyed was discovering animals that we had never heard of, and finding out about them. Who knew there was a a Pink Fairy Armadillo?! If you have a love of natural history, art and science, then this is definitely a book for you! Big Picture Press produce the most amazing non-fiction books and this is no exception.

[Agapanthus.books.100 · Rating 5 out of 5]

If ever there was an impressive book cover, it has to be The Big Picture Press' latest masterpiece - 'Beautiful. A Celebration of Evolution'.
The white cover with bold, gold lettering is topped with the image of a Shoebill, its dinosaur-like features staring out at you.
The book features many similar animals that have evolved and adapted to their environment in order to survive.
The text and illustrations by William Spring enlighten us on all the ways in which different species have developed. From the Bat-eared Fox whose ears help them to detect prey for food and also avoid becoming prey for preditors themselves, to the Saiga Antelope whose nose has developed to allow the animal to warm up freezing air to breathe in the harsh climates of Russia and Kazakstan.
If you love fascinating facts about animals, then you will love this book and its truly beautiful illustrations. It is a very classy and informative addition to any bookshelf!

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in awe of this stunning book and its author/illustrator. Oversized hardcover (112 pages), recommended for ages 9-12. Any age would love this book. It would definitely be appreciated as a coffee table book as well. I keep turning to it time and again. The writing details unique and fascinating traits about each animal. Interesting and entertaining. The art, however. Wow! I wish everyone reading my review could hold this book in their hands even for just a minute. The variety of animals William Spring is capable of drawing to perfection is incredible. Look at the cover art! What a beauty! Inside the book there is an American Bison, Chameleon, Vampire Squid, Orange Oakleaf Butterfly, Sumatran Rhino and so many more wonderful creatures. Evolution: A Celebration of Beautiful Animals is a must have for every school, home and public library. Most certainly gift worthy as well. It is an extraordinary book!

[Sam Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Running at just over 100 pages long, Beautiful (A Celebration of Evolution) is an A to Z - or should that be A to W? - guide to how a whole host of animals from the Aldabra Giant Tortoise to the Wild Boar have evolved over the years, decades and centuries etc.

A double-page spread, accompanied by spectacular watercolour illustrations, is dedicated to each featured animal, so this is a book that readers can easily dip in and out with all the information immediately at hand (depending on which creature they want or need to know about at any given moment) and will be suitable and/or of interest to those who are new or want to find out more about the natural world regardless of their age as well as the younger readers who perhaps constitute the target audience. Overall, an ideal reference book to have in the school library or over the coffee table at home.

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Beautiful - A Celebration of Evolution” looks to be a true treasure trove of visual storytelling, with its informative content and beautiful watercolour life like drawings and will make, not just a book to read but a book to keep and re read every time you wish to visit nature. In this horrid climate of unrest and chaos, the natural world doesn’t change and it makes a real help to mental health be able to just look and learn about the birds and animals we might not of heard of, purely down to their names or odd looks. I really can’t express how gorgeous this book is in presentation! It’s literally huge and so well printed and crafted it’s a genuine work of art in itself.
So if you are a pet lover, nature lover or just love learning, this book is for you - it definitely is for me and I’m know with clarity it will be read by many other members of my family too!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely coffee table size hardback book featuring fifty very different animals - some recognisable, others less well known. Each animal has a two page spread with a lovely watercolour drawing of the animal and some very fascinating and well researched information about them. I like that this is pitched at an older audience and as such the writing is at that level but not overly scientific which makes it much more readable. The overall concept is about perception of beauty as we often judge some animals as ‘ugly’ but this illustrates in both drawings and words where the beauty lies in each of these creatures and I guess in nature generally. This is a very good reminder of what true beauty is as well as being a wonderful source of information about these various creatures. I think it’s great that the author is looking for beauty in everything, as should we all.

[ACL Review Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

HIGH ADDITIONAL.
To Read Full Review please visit ACL's Website at https://www.bayviews.org/review/

Pencil and watercolor illustrations highlight fifty interesting and unique animals – most of whom are endangered or threatened. Each double-page spread includes a few [continue reading]