Animalium: Welcome to the Museum

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The information in this book is excellent, but what will entrance you the most will probably be the illustrations by Katie Scott. Her drawings were initially made with pen and ink and then colored digitally. Fascinating yet educational, the amazing world of Animal Kingdom opens up right in front of your eyes with Animalium, a picture encyclopedia of Life Science Studies on the animal classifications. The book contains astonishing collection of more than 160 colorful and nostalgic illustrations by a London based artist and curator, Katie Scott. Her Sepia brown tinted drawings printed on the slightly yellow parchment colored papers are magical enough to transport you into a museum as if you are looking at Charles Darwin's original scientific journals from 1800s through a protected glass encasement. Laid out in ‘galleries’ rather than chapters, the museum metaphor is rather heavily laboured. It mimics the tradition Natural History Museum layout though by dividing the contents by taxonomic classification (mammals, birds, fish, etc.) rather than continents or countries – which is how I remember most of my childhood wildlife reference books being laid out. What comes out of this is a book that is more scientific in focus; explicitly about how and why certain creatures are grouped together by similar traits rather than just a more general ‘isn’t wildlife cool’ message. It also means that unglamorous creatures like Porifera (sea sponges) are given as much attention and explanation as traditional favourites like Birds of Prey. While it’s not a complete encyclopedia of animal life (with only 160+ featured animals it was never going to be) it provides a good overview of the larger animal groupings, alongside some interesting chosen examples from each major family on the tree of life.

Discovering it is a book aimed at children helped though. It clearly isn’t meant to be a thorough exploration of the different taxonomic groups, drilling down into the science behind the weirder traits, but an overview to introduce people to the basic ideas of grouping, evolution, and shared traits and to provide some visual examples (both well known and obscure). And it does that well. My wants out of a book like this are not the same as the target audiences, so I can’t rate it higher but what it aims to do it does very well. It isn’t attempting to be a children’s DK eyewitness book on animals (do children still use those? I loved them) but a beautiful reference book of much more select examples that is to be treasured as well as educational. And I don’t think you have to be 8-12 to appreciate it as that either. If I had got this age 8, it probably would have become one of my most precious and loved books. So 3 and a half stars from adult me (I just wanted more facts!) but probably 5 or even 6 stars from 8-year-old me! My personal favorite of the bunch, ‘Animalium’ is a stunning celebration of biodiversity on Earth and the beautiful creatures that live here. … The illustrations are works of art, and each gallery includes wonderful facts about the creatures within. This book is perfect for all ages — I may just want a copy for myself. Elegantly encapsulating these dizzyingly diverse and ubiquitous wonders, Scott’s photographic illustrations, too, offer astronomical appeal. Complete with an index and sources for suggested reading, this dazzling display is ideal for classroom and coffee-table collections, budding botanists and curious kids, and everywhere—and everyone—in between. This portfolio-like book is divided into six “galleries”: Africa, America, Asia, Europe, The Middle East, and Oceania. The civilizations explored - initially laid out in a time line at the front of the book, range from one million years ago to the year 2000.

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This title makes a sizable claim to operate as a museum of world plants, and it delivers in a big way...The text is accessible to 3rd grade classrooms (pictures will impress those even younger), yet will still offer interest to secondary grades for botany class or browsing. While the information in this book is fascinating, what is most impressive is the quality of the illustrations by Richard Wilkinson. Although it looks like the book is filled with actual photographs, these are digital images that have been drawn and colored in lifelike detail. This book is a very illuminating reference for readers who are interested in an overview and those who want more detailed information Readers (children and adults alike) will savor and investigate this visual catalog over and over again. … A museum in a book, with spectacular colored pen-and-ink drawings, presented in an elegant 11"x15" volume. And, to my mind, it is these illustrations rather than the ‘gallery’ structure that really make the book. Old fashioned - if not ‘paint and ink’ than the digital equivalent - and reminiscent of the Victorian explorers colour plates found in natural history museums ('Images of Nature' might just be my favourite gallery in the whole of the Natural History Museum, London). They are enchanting and beautiful in the way that most photo snaps of animals don’t manage (though I do love animal photography and Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the only art exhibition anyone will ever find me in raptures about). They are the main attraction of the book and what makes it stand out from other, similar, children’s encyclopaedias and reference books.

Like Big Picture Press’ equally fantastic ‘MAPS’, this is almost A3 in size. It lends itself to this scale to showcase its abundance of breathtakingly beautiful, detailed illustrations. From the blue button jellyfish, to the Masai giraffe, many things feathered, finned, and fur-coated can be found here, and they are incredibly presented. No word of a lie – I even cooed over a sea sponge. Animalium is literally for everyone. Its illustrations are enchanting enough to entertain the imagination of the younger children while its accurately curated texts by Jenny Brown are informative enough to feed the intellectual hunger of the older audience.Animalium: Welcome to the Museum and Botanicum: Welcome to the Museum, while designated for the age 8 to 12 child, utilizes information and vocabulary that might be beyond the realm of this age group making the books fitting upward to adults. Introduction of vocabulary and scientific information can begin at any age and more is often absorbed than imagined possible. However, the majority of age 8 to 12 students will find some of the text daunting. And no, this is not your toddlers lovely animal picture book. This is a book that provides insight into the groupings of animals and species. It encompases virtually the whole spectrum of living creatures.