There’s something rather magical about cracking open a brand new encyclopedia and immersing yourself in the knowledge within. Although people can now find any answer they want with a click of a button, I think there will always be a place for wonderful books like this – they contain worlds of possibilities and undiscovered wisdom waiting to be tripped over and absorbed by enquiring minds.

This encyclopedia is a real beauty. Organised into eight sections, verified by 100 experts and containing over 1000 photos, children will marvel at the wonders within. Produced by Encyclopaedia Britannica, this is a quality volume you can trust to be well-rounded and well-researched.

What makes this edition particularly special is that it doesn’t just tell us what humans DO know, it also explores what we DON’T know – mysteries which could just be solved by one of the readers of this book!

For my post, I’ve been asked to focus on the ‘LIFE’ section of the encyclopedia – this takes the readers on a journey from the very first stirrings of life on Earth, through millions of years of evolution to now and beyond.

Life thrives on diversity – no matter how much our planet changes, there will always be some species who can survive, adapt and thrive. The problem, of course, is that humans are destroying that diversity. But at what cost? Readers will find out what they can do to help.

There’s just so much to learn from these visually stunning pages: how the natural world is divided into five ‘kingdoms’ and how these kingdoms interact with and depend upon each other; explore some of the extraordinary habitats upon this planet; go to the ends of the Earth; and find out how humans have harnessed nature.

At the end of each section there’s a quiz where you can test just how much you’ve learnt without realising it! There’s also an excellent ‘Ask the Experts’ page where we find out more about the expert consultants who created this section, along with quotes about why they love their work and what they’re working on today.

Amazing double-page spreads, detailed photos, illustrations, maps and fact boxes – there is so much for readers to pore over. My sons have been bickering over who’ll get to read which section first!

Library Girl.

*Many thanks to Britannica Books for inviting me to be a part of the blog tour*