Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature

This first book in the Curiositree series features 67 charts exploring aspects of biodiversity. Readers need not read chronologically, but can thumb through the charts, which are organized conceptually: yellow tabbed charts address habitats and environments, orange tabs discuss particular species of plants or animals, and charts marked with blue tabs look at animal behavior and adaptation. Davey’s crisp, polished digital illustrations call to mind vintage science textbook images. Despite the wealth of information, the presentation never becomes overwhelming; rather, the charts flow organically from topic to topic (charts about plants lead to ones about food chains, then to discussions of predators), subtly underscoring the interconnectivity of the wild. It’s a richly layered and expertly composed volume that may leave readers with the impression of having wandered through the halls of a natural history museum. Ages 8–12. (July)