Pages from our new children's book Extinct

GIFTING: Open up a world of fine art and food, sports and science to kids this Christmas!

Our new children’s books make young readers better cooks, better gallery goers - and better custodians of our planet

You might assume that modern and contemporary art would be among the few subjects truly beyond the reach of young readers; if so, you really haven’t taken a look at our wonderful kids’ books.

Take, for example Yves Klein Painted Everything Blue and Wasn’t Sorry by the charming Italian author and illustrator, Fausto Gilberti. Across 48 book-board pages, Gilberti lays down the life and work of this seminal, 20th century artist in a fun, engaging way, that readers between the age of four and seven can understand.

 

Pages from Yves Klein Painted Everything Blue and Wasn’t Sorry
Pages from Yves Klein Painted Everything Blue and Wasn’t Sorry

Want something equally high brow for even younger readers? Then go for Art This Way by Tamara Shopsin and Jason Fulford. Together they have found a way to lead two-to-five year olds through the Whitney Museum's esteemed collection in a manner that’s both enlightening and engaging for young minds.

 

Pages from Art This Way
Pages from Art This Way

Author Joshua David Stein and illustrator Marcus Oakley take aim at a similar age group in The Ball Book, a rhyming, bounce-along read for three-to-five year olds, that runs through the differences between footballs and eyeballs, beach balls and meatballs, and cricket balls and croquet balls.

 

Pages from The Ball Book
Pages from The Ball Book

Older readers meanwhile, can tackle a tougher subject with Extinct, a beautifully illustrated guide to the animals that no longer exist on the planet. But, this book isn’t only about what’s lost. By exploring the species that have died out over the past century, from the California grizzly to the Persian tiger, Lucas Riera’s book aims to create awareness and inspire seven-to-ten year olds to act responsibly toward the environment.

 

Pages from Extinct
Pages from Extinct

And if they can look after the planet, how about what’s on their plates? The new edition of The Silver Spoon for Children takes many of the best recipes from the world’s best-loved Italian cookbook and boils them down for the bambinis in the kitchen. From tomato bruschetta to banana cream dessert, this book has got something for all aspiring cooks.

 

Pages from The Silver Spoon for Children
Pages from The Silver Spoon for Children

There are just the latest of our children’s books catalogue, which also includes the enchanting fiction of Tomi Ungerer, playfully creative editions by Hervé Tullet, and the quietly educative works of Sara Gillingham. Browse through them all here.