World of Colour by Jess Racklyeft

From the glorious tactile and colourful cover to the fabulous endpapers plus the wealth of information inside, this wonderful new release from Jess Racklyeft will provide hours of reading enjoyment and engagement.

Following on from the author’s award-winning Australia: Country of Colour, this new non-fiction treasure looks at animals, plants, insects, and landscapes from all seven continents. Each colour section is clearly labelled beginning with red & pink where the landscape page shares information about Lake Natron in Tanzania where the red coloured lake attracts millions of Lesser Flamingos. Following on from this are two double paged spreads beautifully illustrated in Jess’s trademark water colour style with highly accessible information of each of the flora and fauna presented, clearly labelled with the scientific name and continent. The colours used in each section include orange & brown, yellow, green, blue, purple, and black, white & grey. You can only begin to image the vast array of wildlife and plant life that has been incorporated into each section.

The author has a thoughtful introduction in the beginning of the book and in the final pages includes an Author’s Note where she talks about the mention of the conservation status of some of the plants and animals and the responsibility citizens of this world have. There is also a list of organisations that work to protect our world.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. A must-have for school and public libraries as well as a perfect gift for young conversationists or children who just love learning about our diverse world.

Themes: Animals, Insects, Plants, Landscapes, Colour, Continents, Conservation.

Kathryn Beilby