Nature

Practicalities Getting Organised Getting More Out of It Nature 

Reference books to help identify flowers, birds and animals will enhance your trip (those with drawings are often easier to use than those with photographs). There are lots of books which introduce children to the more general issues of valuing and caring for the environment. Look out for nature trails and visitor centres which can provide interesting infomation.

Reference

Nature Watch By the Roadside Bright Books, £2.99, 6-10 years
A simple take-in-the-car guide to the nature children might see from the car and on even brief outings into less developed areas. Written in association with WATCH, the national young people's environment care organisation.

The Usborne Nature Trail Book, Malcolm Hart, £9.99, 9+
A collection of six revised and updated titles from the nature trail series, birdwatching, trees and leaves, wild flowers, garden wildlife, insect watching, and ponds and streams, with information on how animals and plants live and where they can be located. Includes a range of activities to try. Clearly illustrated in colour.

Usborne Spotters Guides Woodland Life/The Night Sky/Birds of Prey/Butterflies/Wild Flowers/Sea and Freshwater Birds/Insects/Birds/Rocks & Minerals/Shells/Animals Tracks and Signs/Trees/Country Walks/The Seashore, £3.99 from 4+ and intended for use up to teens.
Considered good for adults as well as children but not too complicated.

Clue Books Insects Gwen Allen and Joan Denslow, Oxford University Press, £3.99 8+
Clue Books Birds Gwen Allen and Joan Denslow, Oxford University Press, £3.99 8+
Clue Books Flowers Gwen Allen and Joan Denslow, Oxford University Press, £3.99 8+
Clue Books Flowerless Plants Gwen Allen and Joan Denslow, Oxford University Press, £3.99 8+
Clue Books Freshwater Animals Gwen Allen and Joan Denslow, Oxford University Press, £3.99 8+
Clue Books Seashore Animals Gwen Allen and Joan Denslow, Oxford University Press, £3.99 8+
Straight forward 80-page books with photographs.

Other

The Storm Seal Judy Waite & Neil Reed, Little Tiger Press, £4.99 4-7 years
The morning after a big storm Peter the fisherman finds a tiny, stranded seal pup. Taking the pup home, he rears it till it grows into a grey seal. But when the local children start to dress it up and play games with it, Peter teaches them that it is a wild animal and not a pet, and returns it to the sea.

Rosy's Garden a Child's Keepsake of Flowers, Elizabeth Laird, illus Satomi Ichikawa, Mammoth, £4.99, 4-8 years
Rosy stays with her grandmother and learns all about the flowers in the garden - the meaning of the names, folklore and history. There are rhymes about flowers, and recipes using herbs.

This Bowl of Earth Jan Mark, illus Gaynor Shephard, Walker, £4.99, 5-8 years
A non-fiction picture book mixing facts with feelings, encouraging children to imagine as they learn.

Red Fox Karen Wallace, P Melnyczuk, Walker, £4.99, 4-8 years
A non-fiction picture book mixing facts with feelings, encouraging children to imagine as they learn.

The Magic of Dolphins Horace Dobbs, Lutterworth, £6.99 9+
The 'Dolphin Man's' best-selling introduction to the life of dolphins.

Our Changing World David Bellamy, illus Jill Dow, Francis Lincoln, £4.99 6-10 years
The Forest, The River, The Roadside, The Rockpool, with information on plants and animals.

The Deep Blue Sea Jakki Wood, Francis Lincoln, £4.99, 3-6 years
An ocean wildlife book, with a small boy pushing his little boat to sea to start an adventure.

The Great Green Forest Paul Geraghty, Random House, £4.50 3-7 years
The simple story of a treemouse who needs her sleep, illustrated with fine wildlife pictures with a strong ecological message.

Specialist Supplier

Insect Lore Europe

PO Box 1420, Milton Keynes MK14 6ZQ
tel: 01908 563338.

Sells an intriguing range of hands on items, (including caterpillar and ant kits), for parents, teachers and under 10s to teach them about the insect world. Established for more than 30 years in the US and in 1994 in the UK, probably the best place to go if you want both fiction and non-fiction books, games and toys, based around the bugs, bees and butterflies your child might encounter on a holiday in the country.