BOOKS
Created: 10th November, 2015

Atlas of Adventures

Author: Rachel Williams
Illustrator: Lucy Letherland
Publisher: Wide-Eyed Editions

Each section of this large format book opens with a map of each continent, then homes in on particular places with things you can do or see there. There is an emphasis on wildlife, landscapes and traditional customs and ways of life. The details in the pictures are sometimes fun rather than realistic, such as a red squirrel on skis, or a grizzly bear with a salmon rather than a flake sticking out of an ice-cream cone.

The brief information is an enticement that makes you want to explore further: what are the Reading, Poetry and Retro Trains on the Moscow Metro? Diversity is demonstrated, from the fact that ‘more than 300 languages can be heard on [London’s] streets’ to the cultural and natural variety across the Asian continent. Some things are quite unique and specific, such as the flight of Monarch Butterflies in Mexico at end of summer. There is a puzzle element with people, animals and buildings to search for in the crowded pages and a good index.