The Kingfisher

First Animal Encyclopedia

by John Farndon, Jon Kirkwood

Witness the lightning-like dart of the chameleon's sticky tongue or the devious devices of the trap-door spider!
The Kingfisher First Animal Encyclopedia is a valuable addition to the Kingfisher First Reference series and the perfect introduction to the enduringly popular subject of both wild and domestic animals. Detailed, full color illustrations and photographs present animals in a variety of settings -- in their natural habitats, hunting prey, feeding offspring, or engaging in other types of typical behavior. Photographs of children interacting with animals and a variety of clearly-explained activities provide examples of animal behavior or physiology and make this an exceptionally child-friendly book.
Special Features:
Hands-on activities to reinforce learning.
Clear, simple text is inviting and accessible to five- and six-year-old children.
Fact boxes and detailed captions provide older children with in-depth information.
Simple alphabetical arrangement.
Bold, clear headwords.
Cross-references.
Index and glossary.

First and only edition with 160 pages

Genres: Science, Reference, Childrens, Nonfiction, Animals, Education

160 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 1998

About the author

John Farndon is an internationally known author, as well as a playwright, composer and songwriter, whose work has been performed at such theatres as the Donmar and Almeida in London and the Salisbury Playhouse and selected for showcases, such as Beyond the Gate.

He has written hundreds of books, which have sold millions of copies around the world in most major languages and include many best-sellers, such as the award-winning Do Not Open, which received rave reviews in the USA and became a cult-hit as well as featuring on the New York Times and Washington Post best-seller lists. In earlier years, he wrote mostly for children, and has been shortlisted a record four times for the junior Science Book prize. Books such as How Science Works and How the Earth Works each sold over a million copies worldwide. But recently he has written much more for adults.

Many of his books focus on popular science, and in particular earth science, nature, and environmental issues. His Practical Encyclopedia of Rocks and Mineral is widely used as a reference work by geologists, while The Atlas of Oceans, his big book on endangered life in the oceans for Yale in the USA (A&C Black in the UK and Australian Geographic in Australia), garnered glowing reports prepublication from major figures such as the Cousteaus, Carl Safina, Nancy Knowlton and Harm de Blij.

But he has covered a wide range of topics, from contemporary China to the food market. The history of ideas and intellectual curiosity is a particular speciality.

In 2010, his book for Icon Do You Think You're Clever? was a best-seller, reaching the top 20 on Amazon and the top 10 in South Africa and Turkey, and was shortlisted for the Society of Authors Education Award. The follow-up The World’s Greatest Idea was selected as one of the top 50 Wish List books of the year in South Africa.

He has been interviewed extensively on radio and TV stations around the world, and conducted talks, demonstrations and displays at many events, from the Brighton Science Festival to the Oxford Literary Festival.

Reviews

[negin · Rating 1 out of 5]

what a great book, absolutely drove my life for animals, deffo recommend but I dont remember anything that happened because I was read it when I was 4

[Kymberlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for the kids to read and to be read to. We are really enjoying this from the library. Over and over again!

[Aliyah Majothi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic and easy-to-understand book for young children. With clear, simple text and vibrant illustrations, it includes a wide variety of animals like mammals, birds and sea creatures. the book is organised in a way that makes it perfect for early readers. It's a great resource for sparking curiosity and helping kids learn more about the animal world in a fun yet engaging way. It is a great addition to any child's bookshelf.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for the young animal lover in your family.

[Savanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: This book is exactly what it claims to be: an encyclopedia of animals. It contains a wide variety of hundreds of different animals and tells interesting facts about each animal.

I thought that this book would be a really useful reference book, but I didn’t enjoy reading it all at once.

Reference Book/Nonfiction

There is nothing really controversial in this book.

[Bridget]

On the hardcover shelf.

[Erienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have used this a lot over the years. The girls have gotten a lot out of it.

[Jonathan Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kingfisher First Animal Encyclopedia is brought you by John Farndon

[Alistair Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like animals and I like that there are like a hundred animals in this book. I like that it has reptiles, mammals, birds, and more different kinds of animals. I liked the pictures and words too.