The STEM Encyclopedia of Wildlife Words: An Illustrated A to Z of 100 Animal Terms for Kids to Know

This brightly coloured encyclopedia won me over from the get-go! There are clearly laid out Contents pages listing the entries of the top 100 words related to animals which the author deems kids need to know. These words are in A to Z order, Amphibian to Zoosemiotics. The page entitled ‘How to Use this Book’ clearly explains how to use the Contents pages and the remarkable Index. Each keyword is on a different page where its meaning is clarified, there are some interesting associated facts and appropriate illustrations. Any terms in bold text are related to the main word and can be looked up in the fantastic Index which gives their definitions. Before the A-Z entries begin, page 7 is usefully devoted to explaining two questions: What is Wildlife? What is STEM?

There are a few ways to enjoy this reference book: the reader can read it sequentially, look up words they come across which need explanation, or dip into it at will. I loved reading some amazing facts such as ‘Elephants can sense vibrations travelling through the ground from as far as 6km away’ (p.17). There is some difficult vocabulary included in this publication e.g. ‘Ethology’ (p.33), ‘Nematode’ (p.65) and even ‘Viviparity’ (p.100). For this reason, I would recommend younger readers sharing this with an adult or carer. In this way they will get the most out of the volume.

I think the illustrations are first class. Whether they are beautifully illustrating the text, such as the Murmuration on p.64, or are in the form of diagrams, like the one on p82 explaining the word Ruminant, they are excellent.

This is the type of book which will stimulate a youngster’s interest in STEM subjects and could influence their career choice in such a positive way. Ideal for the library, classroom or home I can thoroughly recommend this title.