Highland poems, natural wonders and singing superstars - book reviews

Age 8 plus:

A Year of Scottish Poems by Gaby Morgan

‘My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here;

My heart’s in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer;

A-chasing the wild deer, and following the roe,

My heart’s in the Highlands wherever I go’ –

This famous song and poem, written by Robert Burns in 1789, is just one of the many beautiful, lyrical poems in an inspiring anthology of the best of Scottish poetry, specially curated to read and enjoy all year round.

Gathered together by Gaby Morgan, an editorial director at Macmillan Children’s Books, this beautiful book has a foreword by Makar Jackie Kay, the National Poet for Scotland, who tells us that poetry, both oral and written, is the national art of Scotland.

Scots poets, Kay reveals, have reflected and responded to their landscape, to their various languages, to the history of Caledonia and to their changing relationships, both personal and political. ‘We hear the voice of our passionate, proud and provocative country most truly in its poetry,’ says Kay.

The 366 powerful, thoughtful and uplifting poems also reflect the changing seasons, the history of Scottish people, and mark key dates in the Scottish calendar, from Burns Night to Hogmanay.

The collection features the strongest voices in Scottish poetry including Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson, George Mackay Brown, Sir Walter Scott, Liz Lochhead, Don Paterson, Nan Shepherd, Stewart Conn, Kathleen Jamie, Elma Mitchell, John Rice, Muriel Spark, Iain Crichton Smith, Sorley MacLean, Julia Donaldson, Carolina Oliphant, Norman MacCaig, Marion Angus, Kate Clanchy, Carol Ann Duffy and many more.

With its stunning foiled cover, which features puffins, otters and stags to embody the wild Scottish landscape, this is a magical introduction for a new generation of children to the powerful voices of Scottish poetry, and the land that they love.

(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £12.99)

Age 9 plus:

Natural Wonders of the World by Molly Oldfield and Federica Bordoni

Open the pages of this amazing book and you have a passport to the world!

Our planet’s natural wonders spring to vivid life in Molly Oldfield and Federica Bordoni’s beautiful photographic celebration of the natural world which lets youngsters do their own exploring.

Filled with life and colour, Bordoni’s stunning illustrations, breathtaking photographs, and fascinating facts, this journey of discovery lets children swing through the trees of Madagascar, dive into the ocean to explore the Great Barrier Reef, and stand in the most electric place on Earth.

From firefly squid glowing against the night sky in Japan to a Mexican cave filled with the largest crystals ever found, here is the chance to discover the stories and science behind these wonders, the threats they now face, and the efforts taking place to save them.

Learn how the Grand Canyon was formed, what we can do to protect the Great Barrier Reef, and discover how climate change is endangering the ancient giant sequoia trees in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California. And then visit the stormy mouth of the Catatumbo river in Venezuela where lightning strikes the same place up to 40,000 times a night!

This is a thrilling world tour but Molly Oldfield, a writer and researcher on the BBC television show QI, reminds youngsters that a world of wonders can be found much closer to home too. All you need to do to experience the natural world, she says, is to step outside in your neighbourhood to find trees, blossoms and animals, sunshine, thunder clouds and sparkling stars.

An illuminating tour of the planet that we call home, as well as an overview of some of the biggest environmental problems of today, Natural Wonders of the World is the perfect gift for inquisitive youngsters and anyone who loves exploring the great outdoors.