The Wonder Garden

The Wonder Garden
by Jenny Broom
Illustrations by Kristjana S. Williams
Wide Eyed Editions. 2015. Informational.

Have you or your child been yearning for an exciting nonfiction book? One with incredible illustrations that rival even the most beautiful picture books? The Wonder Garden explores some of Earth's most diverse habitats, from the Himalayan Mountains to the Great Barrier Reef -- even stopping in the southwestern American desert. The book is overflowing with facts about animals and the environments in which they live, but that information is not what makes The Wonder Garden truly special.

While most informational books aim for photorealism (or simply photography) in their depictions of nature, The Wonder Garden draws inspiration from the field guides of the 18th and 19th centuries, with highly detailed and stylized illustrations of creatures and plants. Readers will want to search for every last animal, with some cleverly hidden in the wildly-colored illustrations.

This is a truly remarkable book that blends hard science with unsurpassed artwork, and any fan of nature books, picture books, or any books should leap at the opportunity to explore The Wonder Garden.

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