The Best Buy Yet, 16 Oct 2007
For someone who appreciates flora and fauna AND good books - This is a fantastic buy. As a relative beginner to the world of fungi, this book ticks all the boxes for a reference book (so probably a bit big for the field). There are loads of information (basic and advanced) on each fungus and of particular interest to me: The common name of most of the fungi is included. Our fungi have been named with elaborate and humorous names which I find easier to remember than the Latin name. I mainly have a culinary interest in mushrooms and this has great notes on edibility and the fact that you need to know which ones CAN'T be eaten, so congratulations on a truly great piece of work.


Excellent Photographs, 13 Aug 2007

Roger Phillips is the author of a number of books including ones on Wild Food, Wild Flowers, Trees and Grasses among others. The photographs in this book are of excellent quality and this really is essential, particularly for those who are using the book to identify the edible forms of the mushroom of which there are many more than most people think.

The book differentiates quite clearly between those fungi that are edible and those that are not. It also gives the medicinal properties of many of them. I enjoy spotting different ones when I am out walking but I prefer to err on the side of caution and buy mine from the supermarket. However I do know that in France they are much more adventurous regarding their eating of fungi and good luck to them.

Now the best guide available to British fungi, 08 Sep 2006
I bought Phillips' pioneering "Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe" when it came out in the early 1980s for identifying British fungi. At the time it was revolutionary in the use of photographs that allowed the author to depict mushrooms much more accurately than the paintings of earlier guides. Until recently, it was still one of the top field guides to this region (also check Courtecuisse & Duhem, and Jordan [ISBN 0002200252]). I still use this volume a lot for identifying American fungi, both in the tropics and northward. Although I have over 200 field guides of different sorts on my shelves this remains one of my all time favourites.

This current book, Mushrooms (ISBN 0330442376), supersedes the older Phillips guide. It follows the format of the original book quite closely, but is now slightly smaller to make it more of a field guide - about the same size as Skinner's "Moths of the British Isles" (ISBN 0670803545) and, although still won't fit into a pocket, it is much more manageable than the older A4-sized book. There are 1,250 photographs, all of the excellent quality one associates with the author. Some 200 extra species are treated. Taxonomy and text has been brought up to date and into line with the standard taxonomy and nomenclature of lists published by the British Mycological Society.

If you're interested in fungi, don't hesitate - this book must be on your shelves. When you consider how much work went into this project, this represents tremendous value for money.

Chris Sharpe, 8 September 2006. ISBN: 0330442376

Magic, 05 Sep 2006
Roger Phillips has produced an invaluable guide to the mushrooms we find here in Britain and to what we can practically do with them. Many are edible and most have at least some sort of medicinal purpose, even if that's only to numb the pain of everyday life for an hour or two. A month or so ago, one of my work colleagues was certain he'd seen some Amanita Muscaria growing on a rooftop opposite the office. At lunchtime he managed to get onto the roof and we watched as he edged round the corner of the water tank on all fours, seemingly oblivious to the danger. Closer and closer he got, crawling along a narrow ledge until he reached the mushrooms. We were at once impressed and astonished. However, much to his chagrin, closer inspection of the mushrooms showed that they were in fact toadstools. This revelation seemed to shatter his cloak of bravery somewhat and he suddenly realised where he was and what he was doing. Rather embarrassingly, given the audience that had gathered in our office, he started to cry and call out for his mother. To cut a long story short, he had to be rescued by the fire brigade and has been pretty sheepish since. Anyway, this tale, and Phillips' book, shows that mushrooms can be found just about anywhere and that as a damp and dark island, we're jam-packed with them.

The Best Buy Yet, 16 Oct 2007
For someone who appreciates flora and fauna AND good books - This is a fantastic buy. As a relative beginner to the world of fungi, this book ticks all the boxes for a reference book (so probably a bit big for the field). There are loads of information (basic and advanced) on each fungus and of particular interest to me: The common name of most of the fungi is included. Our fungi have been named with elaborate and humorous names which I find easier to remember than the Latin name. I mainly have a culinary interest in mushrooms and this has great notes on edibility and the fact that you need to know which ones CAN'T be eaten, so congratulations on a truly great piece of work.


Excellent Photographs, 13 Aug 2007

Roger Phillips is the author of a number of books including ones on Wild Food, Wild Flowers, Trees and Grasses among others. The photographs in this book are of excellent quality and this really is essential, particularly for those who are using the book to identify the edible forms of the mushroom of which there are many more than most people think.

The book differentiates quite clearly between those fungi that are edible and those that are not. It also gives the medicinal properties of many of them. I enjoy spotting different ones when I am out walking but I prefer to err on the side of caution and buy mine from the supermarket. However I do know that in France they are much more adventurous regarding their eating of fungi and good luck to them.

Now the best guide available to British fungi, 08 Sep 2006
I bought Phillips' pioneering "Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe" when it came out in the early 1980s for identifying British fungi. At the time it was revolutionary in the use of photographs that allowed the author to depict mushrooms much more accurately than the paintings of earlier guides. Until recently, it was still one of the top field guides to this region (also check Courtecuisse & Duhem, and Jordan [ISBN 0002200252]). I still use this volume a lot for identifying American fungi, both in the tropics and northward. Although I have over 200 field guides of different sorts on my shelves this remains one of my all time favourites.

This current book, Mushrooms (ISBN 0330442376), supersedes the older Phillips guide. It follows the format of the original book quite closely, but is now slightly smaller to make it more of a field guide - about the same size as Skinner's "Moths of the British Isles" (ISBN 0670803545) and, although still won't fit into a pocket, it is much more manageable than the older A4-sized book. There are 1,250 photographs, all of the excellent quality one associates with the author. Some 200 extra species are treated. Taxonomy and text has been brought up to date and into line with the standard taxonomy and nomenclature of lists published by the British Mycological Society.

If you're interested in fungi, don't hesitate - this book must be on your shelves. When you consider how much work went into this project, this represents tremendous value for money.

Chris Sharpe, 8 September 2006. ISBN: 0330442376

Magic, 05 Sep 2006
Roger Phillips has produced an invaluable guide to the mushrooms we find here in Britain and to what we can practically do with them. Many are edible and most have at least some sort of medicinal purpose, even if that's only to numb the pain of everyday life for an hour or two. A month or so ago, one of my work colleagues was certain he'd seen some Amanita Muscaria growing on a rooftop opposite the office. At lunchtime he managed to get onto the roof and we watched as he edged round the corner of the water tank on all fours, seemingly oblivious to the danger. Closer and closer he got, crawling along a narrow ledge until he reached the mushrooms. We were at once impressed and astonished. However, much to his chagrin, closer inspection of the mushrooms showed that they were in fact toadstools. This revelation seemed to shatter his cloak of bravery somewhat and he suddenly realised where he was and what he was doing. Rather embarrassingly, given the audience that had gathered in our office, he started to cry and call out for his mother. To cut a long story short, he had to be rescued by the fire brigade and has been pretty sheepish since. Anyway, this tale, and Phillips' book, shows that mushrooms can be found just about anywhere and that as a damp and dark island, we're jam-packed with them.

Perfect for KS2, 31 Jul 2008
My son needed something more than his picture dictionary, but not so large he lost interest in looking a word up - and this is perfect.

The only down side is the size (A5) and being a hardback, it is a little heavy for carrying around on a daily basis.

Fantastic resource for all children, 09 Oct 2000
This dictionary was recommended by my mother - a primary teacher over over 20 years experience as the best infant dictionary around. Having purchased it - I can only agree. Fully supports the National Curiculum.

The Best Buy Yet, 16 Oct 2007
For someone who appreciates flora and fauna AND good books - This is a fantastic buy. As a relative beginner to the world of fungi, this book ticks all the boxes for a reference book (so probably a bit big for the field). There are loads of information (basic and advanced) on each fungus and of particular interest to me: The common name of most of the fungi is included. Our fungi have been named with elaborate and humorous names which I find easier to remember than the Latin name. I mainly have a culinary interest in mushrooms and this has great notes on edibility and the fact that you need to know which ones CAN'T be eaten, so congratulations on a truly great piece of work.


Excellent Photographs, 13 Aug 2007

Roger Phillips is the author of a number of books including ones on Wild Food, Wild Flowers, Trees and Grasses among others. The photographs in this book are of excellent quality and this really is essential, particularly for those who are using the book to identify the edible forms of the mushroom of which there are many more than most people think.

The book differentiates quite clearly between those fungi that are edible and those that are not. It also gives the medicinal properties of many of them. I enjoy spotting different ones when I am out walking but I prefer to err on the side of caution and buy mine from the supermarket. However I do know that in France they are much more adventurous regarding their eating of fungi and good luck to them.

Now the best guide available to British fungi, 08 Sep 2006
I bought Phillips' pioneering "Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe" when it came out in the early 1980s for identifying British fungi. At the time it was revolutionary in the use of photographs that allowed the author to depict mushrooms much more accurately than the paintings of earlier guides. Until recently, it was still one of the top field guides to this region (also check Courtecuisse & Duhem, and Jordan [ISBN 0002200252]). I still use this volume a lot for identifying American fungi, both in the tropics and northward. Although I have over 200 field guides of different sorts on my shelves this remains one of my all time favourites.

This current book, Mushrooms (ISBN 0330442376), supersedes the older Phillips guide. It follows the format of the original book quite closely, but is now slightly smaller to make it more of a field guide - about the same size as Skinner's "Moths of the British Isles" (ISBN 0670803545) and, although still won't fit into a pocket, it is much more manageable than the older A4-sized book. There are 1,250 photographs, all of the excellent quality one associates with the author. Some 200 extra species are treated. Taxonomy and text has been brought up to date and into line with the standard taxonomy and nomenclature of lists published by the British Mycological Society.

If you're interested in fungi, don't hesitate - this book must be on your shelves. When you consider how much work went into this project, this represents tremendous value for money.

Chris Sharpe, 8 September 2006. ISBN: 0330442376

Magic, 05 Sep 2006
Roger Phillips has produced an invaluable guide to the mushrooms we find here in Britain and to what we can practically do with them. Many are edible and most have at least some sort of medicinal purpose, even if that's only to numb the pain of everyday life for an hour or two. A month or so ago, one of my work colleagues was certain he'd seen some Amanita Muscaria growing on a rooftop opposite the office. At lunchtime he managed to get onto the roof and we watched as he edged round the corner of the water tank on all fours, seemingly oblivious to the danger. Closer and closer he got, crawling along a narrow ledge until he reached the mushrooms. We were at once impressed and astonished. However, much to his chagrin, closer inspection of the mushrooms showed that they were in fact toadstools. This revelation seemed to shatter his cloak of bravery somewhat and he suddenly realised where he was and what he was doing. Rather embarrassingly, given the audience that had gathered in our office, he started to cry and call out for his mother. To cut a long story short, he had to be rescued by the fire brigade and has been pretty sheepish since. Anyway, this tale, and Phillips' book, shows that mushrooms can be found just about anywhere and that as a damp and dark island, we're jam-packed with them.

Perfect for KS2, 31 Jul 2008
My son needed something more than his picture dictionary, but not so large he lost interest in looking a word up - and this is perfect.

The only down side is the size (A5) and being a hardback, it is a little heavy for carrying around on a daily basis.

Fantastic resource for all children, 09 Oct 2000
This dictionary was recommended by my mother - a primary teacher over over 20 years experience as the best infant dictionary around. Having purchased it - I can only agree. Fully supports the National Curiculum.

Kids will love it, 03 Mar 2008
I am a Grand Ma and improved my Grand Ma ratings with all my grand children when I gave this to a 7 year old for Christmas. Cool, awsome, and other such things that are not often associated with Grand Ma's. All that said, I enjoyed the book myself as I have a hard and fast rule, don't give anything you would not like to receive. It is also the sort of book you can go back to over and over again, and, I am assured, it has a high swap value!!!

'So just tell me why is snot green?!, 31 Jul 2007
I bought this book today and I've got to tell you I just could not put it down! Believe it or not it is not boring! Kids and even adults will get a lot of fun out of this book. Every page is filled with cool questions and fascinating answers e.g. Will we be able to travel back in time? Will people have flying cars? Why is snot green? Find out all the answers in this book. You get lots of answers to the same question to help you understand more about the topic e.g. Why is the sky blue? (answer) Eh? Wait a minute - I thought air was invisible... (answer) and so on! It seems like the book will never end and that's a good thing! Anyway this is a great book and it is well worth the money. Buy it! You won't regret it!

The Best Buy Yet, 16 Oct 2007
For someone who appreciates flora and fauna AND good books - This is a fantastic buy. As a relative beginner to the world of fungi, this book ticks all the boxes for a reference book (so probably a bit big for the field). There are loads of information (basic and advanced) on each fungus and of particular interest to me: The common name of most of the fungi is included. Our fungi have been named with elaborate and humorous names which I find easier to remember than the Latin name. I mainly have a culinary interest in mushrooms and this has great notes on edibility and the fact that you need to know which ones CAN'T be eaten, so congratulations on a truly great piece of work.


Excellent Photographs, 13 Aug 2007

Roger Phillips is the author of a number of books including ones on Wild Food, Wild Flowers, Trees and Grasses among others. The photographs in this book are of excellent quality and this really is essential, particularly for those who are using the book to identify the edible forms of the mushroom of which there are many more than most people think.

The book differentiates quite clearly between those fungi that are edible and those that are not. It also gives the medicinal properties of many of them. I enjoy spotting different ones when I am out walking but I prefer to err on the side of caution and buy mine from the supermarket. However I do know that in France they are much more adventurous regarding their eating of fungi and good luck to them.

Now the best guide available to British fungi, 08 Sep 2006
I bought Phillips' pioneering "Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe" when it came out in the early 1980s for identifying British fungi. At the time it was revolutionary in the use of photographs that allowed the author to depict mushrooms much more accurately than the paintings of earlier guides. Until recently, it was still one of the top field guides to this region (also check Courtecuisse & Duhem, and Jordan [ISBN 0002200252]). I still use this volume a lot for identifying American fungi, both in the tropics and northward. Although I have over 200 field guides of different sorts on my shelves this remains one of my all time favourites.

This current book, Mushrooms (ISBN 0330442376), supersedes the older Phillips guide. It follows the format of the original book quite closely, but is now slightly smaller to make it more of a field guide - about the same size as Skinner's "Moths of the British Isles" (ISBN 0670803545) and, although still won't fit into a pocket, it is much more manageable than the older A4-sized book. There are 1,250 photographs, all of the excellent quality one associates with the author. Some 200 extra species are treated. Taxonomy and text has been brought up to date and into line with the standard taxonomy and nomenclature of lists published by the British Mycological Society.

If you're interested in fungi, don't hesitate - this book must be on your shelves. When you consider how much work went into this project, this represents tremendous value for money.

Chris Sharpe, 8 September 2006. ISBN: 0330442376

Magic, 05 Sep 2006
Roger Phillips has produced an invaluable guide to the mushrooms we find here in Britain and to what we can practically do with them. Many are edible and most have at least some sort of medicinal purpose, even if that's only to numb the pain of everyday life for an hour or two. A month or so ago, one of my work colleagues was certain he'd seen some Amanita Muscaria growing on a rooftop opposite the office. At lunchtime he managed to get onto the roof and we watched as he edged round the corner of the water tank on all fours, seemingly oblivious to the danger. Closer and closer he got, crawling along a narrow ledge until he reached the mushrooms. We were at once impressed and astonished. However, much to his chagrin, closer inspection of the mushrooms showed that they were in fact toadstools. This revelation seemed to shatter his cloak of bravery somewhat and he suddenly realised where he was and what he was doing. Rather embarrassingly, given the audience that had gathered in our office, he started to cry and call out for his mother. To cut a long story short, he had to be rescued by the fire brigade and has been pretty sheepish since. Anyway, this tale, and Phillips' book, shows that mushrooms can be found just about anywhere and that as a damp and dark island, we're jam-packed with them.

Perfect for KS2, 31 Jul 2008
My son needed something more than his picture dictionary, but not so large he lost interest in looking a word up - and this is perfect.

The only down side is the size (A5) and being a hardback, it is a little heavy for carrying around on a daily basis.

Fantastic resource for all children, 09 Oct 2000
This dictionary was recommended by my mother - a primary teacher over over 20 years experience as the best infant dictionary around. Having purchased it - I can only agree. Fully supports the National Curiculum.

Kids will love it, 03 Mar 2008
I am a Grand Ma and improved my Grand Ma ratings with all my grand children when I gave this to a 7 year old for Christmas. Cool, awsome, and other such things that are not often associated with Grand Ma's. All that said, I enjoyed the book myself as I have a hard and fast rule, don't give anything you would not like to receive. It is also the sort of book you can go back to over and over again, and, I am assured, it has a high swap value!!!

'So just tell me why is snot green?!, 31 Jul 2007
I bought this book today and I've got to tell you I just could not put it down! Believe it or not it is not boring! Kids and even adults will get a lot of fun out of this book. Every page is filled with cool questions and fascinating answers e.g. Will we be able to travel back in time? Will people have flying cars? Why is snot green? Find out all the answers in this book. You get lots of answers to the same question to help you understand more about the topic e.g. Why is the sky blue? (answer) Eh? Wait a minute - I thought air was invisible... (answer) and so on! It seems like the book will never end and that's a good thing! Anyway this is a great book and it is well worth the money. Buy it! You won't regret it!



Excellent, 19 Sep 2008
In our house it's called the Great Big Book of Everything. My son is five and we have this book for a couple of years. Thoroughly recommended.

Feed Their Minds, 23 Mar 2006
It is amazing just how often we under-estimate the young mind's hunger for knowledge and their ability to understand. My 4 year old son is vey curious about the world around him, everything from planets to electricity.

We now read the 'stories'in this book on a daily basis and he always insists on 'just one more'. It is easy to read with complementary graphics and is therefore a great way to introduce them to facts. I would strongly recommend it for parents who find themselves providing information to their children.

The Best Buy Yet, 16 Oct 2007
For someone who appreciates flora and fauna AND good books - This is a fantastic buy. As a relative beginner to the world of fungi, this book ticks all the boxes for a reference book (so probably a bit big for the field). There are loads of information (basic and advanced) on each fungus and of particular interest to me: The common name of most of the fungi is included. Our fungi have been named with elaborate and humorous names which I find easier to remember than the Latin name. I mainly have a culinary interest in mushrooms and this has great notes on edibility and the fact that you need to know which ones CAN'T be eaten, so congratulations on a truly great piece of work.


Excellent Photographs, 13 Aug 2007

Roger Phillips is the author of a number of books including ones on Wild Food, Wild Flowers, Trees and Grasses among others. The photographs in this book are of excellent quality and this really is essential, particularly for those who are using the book to identify the edible forms of the mushroom of which there are many more than most people think.

The book differentiates quite clearly between those fungi that are edible and those that are not. It also gives the medicinal properties of many of them. I enjoy spotting different ones when I am out walking but I prefer to err on the side of caution and buy mine from the supermarket. However I do know that in France they are much more adventurous regarding their eating of fungi and good luck to them.

Now the best guide available to British fungi, 08 Sep 2006
I bought Phillips' pioneering "Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe" when it came out in the early 1980s for identifying British fungi. At the time it was revolutionary in the use of photographs that allowed the author to depict mushrooms much more accurately than the paintings of earlier guides. Until recently, it was still one of the top field guides to this region (also check Courtecuisse & Duhem, and Jordan [ISBN 0002200252]). I still use this volume a lot for identifying American fungi, both in the tropics and northward. Although I have over 200 field guides of different sorts on my shelves this remains one of my all time favourites.

This current book, Mushrooms (ISBN 0330442376), supersedes the older Phillips guide. It follows the format of the original book quite closely, but is now slightly smaller to make it more of a field guide - about the same size as Skinner's "Moths of the British Isles" (ISBN 0670803545) and, although still won't fit into a pocket, it is much more manageable than the older A4-sized book. There are 1,250 photographs, all of the excellent quality one associates with the author. Some 200 extra species are treated. Taxonomy and text has been brought up to date and into line with the standard taxonomy and nomenclature of lists published by the British Mycological Society.

If you're interested in fungi, don't hesitate - this book must be on your shelves. When you consider how much work went into this project, this represents tremendous value for money.

Chris Sharpe, 8 September 2006. ISBN: 0330442376

Magic, 05 Sep 2006
Roger Phillips has produced an invaluable guide to the mushrooms we find here in Britain and to what we can practically do with them. Many are edible and most have at least some sort of medicinal purpose, even if that's only to numb the pain of everyday life for an hour or two. A month or so ago, one of my work colleagues was certain he'd seen some Amanita Muscaria growing on a rooftop opposite the office. At lunchtime he managed to get onto the roof and we watched as he edged round the corner of the water tank on all fours, seemingly oblivious to the danger. Closer and closer he got, crawling along a narrow ledge until he reached the mushrooms. We were at once impressed and astonished. However, much to his chagrin, closer inspection of the mushrooms showed that they were in fact toadstools. This revelation seemed to shatter his cloak of bravery somewhat and he suddenly realised where he was and what he was doing. Rather embarrassingly, given the audience that had gathered in our office, he started to cry and call out for his mother. To cut a long story short, he had to be rescued by the fire brigade and has been pretty sheepish since. Anyway, this tale, and Phillips' book, shows that mushrooms can be found just about anywhere and that as a damp and dark island, we're jam-packed with them.

Perfect for KS2, 31 Jul 2008
My son needed something more than his picture dictionary, but not so large he lost interest in looking a word up - and this is perfect.

The only down side is the size (A5) and being a hardback, it is a little heavy for carrying around on a daily basis.

Fantastic resource for all children, 09 Oct 2000
This dictionary was recommended by my mother - a primary teacher over over 20 years experience as the best infant dictionary around. Having purchased it - I can only agree. Fully supports the National Curiculum.

Kids will love it, 03 Mar 2008
I am a Grand Ma and improved my Grand Ma ratings with all my grand children when I gave this to a 7 year old for Christmas. Cool, awsome, and other such things that are not often associated with Grand Ma's. All that said, I enjoyed the book myself as I have a hard and fast rule, don't give anything you would not like to receive. It is also the sort of book you can go back to over and over again, and, I am assured, it has a high swap value!!!

'So just tell me why is snot green?!, 31 Jul 2007
I bought this book today and I've got to tell you I just could not put it down! Believe it or not it is not boring! Kids and even adults will get a lot of fun out of this book. Every page is filled with cool questions and fascinating answers e.g. Will we be able to travel back in time? Will people have flying cars? Why is snot green? Find out all the answers in this book. You get lots of answers to the same question to help you understand more about the topic e.g. Why is the sky blue? (answer) Eh? Wait a minute - I thought air was invisible... (answer) and so on! It seems like the book will never end and that's a good thing! Anyway this is a great book and it is well worth the money. Buy it! You won't regret it!



Excellent, 19 Sep 2008
In our house it's called the Great Big Book of Everything. My son is five and we have this book for a couple of years. Thoroughly recommended.

Feed Their Minds, 23 Mar 2006
It is amazing just how often we under-estimate the young mind's hunger for knowledge and their ability to understand. My 4 year old son is vey curious about the world around him, everything from planets to electricity.

We now read the 'stories'in this book on a daily basis and he always insists on 'just one more'. It is easy to read with complementary graphics and is therefore a great way to introduce them to facts. I would strongly recommend it for parents who find themselves providing information to their children.

Absolutely Breathtaking!, 24 Apr 2008
I have just received this book from Amazon this morning and couldn't believe just how beautiful it is.So often with books I have read reviews and been slightly disappointed by the real thing-not so today. It is superbly made with stunning pop-ups and small chunks of accessible text by way of small information books -all with their own pop-ups.My children aged 7 and 4 have absolutely loved it and I am on here to order some more copies as birthday presents.A book that will be treasured!

great dinosaur book, 17 Mar 2008
we found this at our local library and just loved it and have since bought it for gifts. The pop-up creatures are amazing. My 7yr old son also got the mega-beast book, lots of interesting information on each page.

Wonderful, 17 Nov 2007
I bought this for my nephew's third birthday & it was a massive hit. I was a bit concerned as the dinosaurs are quite impressionistic but all concerned were amazed and enthralled & it's set to be a top book throughout his childhood as he grows into the different things the book has to offer.

A magical marvel, 24 Aug 2006
My 4 year old on received this spectacular book for his birthday and I have to say that it is simply wonderful. Bed time reading has never been so much fun, and we can never wait to discover what is hidden on the next page. This book is now on all of his friends wish lists and will undoubtedly grow with him.

Dinosaurs pop to life!, 01 Mar 2006
A gorgeous wonder of a book. Robert Sabauda has outdone himself this time. My five-year old adores it and feels very big and accomplished to have his very own encyclopedia! Each page has mini-pop up books. At every reading, it seems there is something new to be discovered about dinosaurs. My son loves to just stare and dream at the pop-ups. The information is fascinating as well. This book is destined to be a classic, one that our family will treasure for a long while.

The Best Buy Yet, 16 Oct 2007
For someone who appreciates flora and fauna AND good books - This is a fantastic buy. As a relative beginner to the world of fungi, this book ticks all the boxes for a reference book (so probably a bit big for the field). There are loads of information (basic and advanced) on each fungus and of particular interest to me: The common name of most of the fungi is included. Our fungi have been named with elaborate and humorous names which I find easier to remember than the Latin name. I mainly have a culinary interest in mushrooms and this has great notes on edibility and the fact that you need to know which ones CAN'T be eaten, so congratulations on a truly great piece of work.


Excellent Photographs, 13 Aug 2007

Roger Phillips is the author of a number of books including ones on Wild Food, Wild Flowers, Trees and Grasses among others. The photographs in this book are of excellent quality and this really is essential, particularly for those who are using the book to identify the edible forms of the mushroom of which there are many more than most people think.

The book differentiates quite clearly between those fungi that are edible and those that are not. It also gives the medicinal properties of many of them. I enjoy spotting different ones when I am out walking but I prefer to err on the side of caution and buy mine from the supermarket. However I do know that in France they are much more adventurous regarding their eating of fungi and good luck to them.

Now the best guide available to British fungi, 08 Sep 2006
I bought Phillips' pioneering "Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe" when it came out in the early 1980s for identifying British fungi. At the time it was revolutionary in the use of photographs that allowed the author to depict mushrooms much more accurately than the paintings of earlier guides. Until recently, it was still one of the top field guides to this region (also check Courtecuisse & Duhem, and Jordan [ISBN 0002200252]). I still use this volume a lot for identifying American fungi, both in the tropics and northward. Although I have over 200 field guides of different sorts on my shelves this remains one of my all time favourites.

This current book, Mushrooms (ISBN 0330442376), supersedes the older Phillips guide. It follows the format of the original book quite closely, but is now slightly smaller to make it more of a field guide - about the same size as Skinner's "Moths of the British Isles" (ISBN 0670803545) and, although still won't fit into a pocket, it is much more manageable than the older A4-sized book. There are 1,250 photographs, all of the excellent quality one associates with the author. Some 200 extra species are treated. Taxonomy and text has been brought up to date and into line with the standard taxonomy and nomenclature of lists published by the British Mycological Society.

If you're interested in fungi, don't hesitate - this book must be on your shelves. When you consider how much work went into this project, this represents tremendous value for money.

Chris Sharpe, 8 September 2006. ISBN: 0330442376

Magic, 05 Sep 2006
Roger Phillips has produced an invaluable guide to the mushrooms we find here in Britain and to what we can practically do with them. Many are edible and most have at least some sort of medicinal purpose, even if that's only to numb the pain of everyday life for an hour or two. A month or so ago, one of my work colleagues was certain he'd seen some Amanita Muscaria growing on a rooftop opposite the office. At lunchtime he managed to get onto the roof and we watched as he edged round the corner of the water tank on all fours, seemingly oblivious to the danger. Closer and closer he got, crawling along a narrow ledge until he reached the mushrooms. We were at once impressed and astonished. However, much to his chagrin, closer inspection of the mushrooms showed that they were in fact toadstools. This revelation seemed to shatter his cloak of bravery somewhat and he suddenly realised where he was and what he was doing. Rather embarrassingly, given the audience that had gathered in our office, he started to cry and call out for his mother. To cut a long story short, he had to be rescued by the fire brigade and has been pretty sheepish since. Anyway, this tale, and Phillips' book, shows that mushrooms can be found just about anywhere and that as a damp and dark island, we're jam-packed with them.

Perfect for KS2, 31 Jul 2008
My son needed something more than his picture dictionary, but not so large he lost interest in looking a word up - and this is perfect.

The only down side is the size (A5) and being a hardback, it is a little heavy for carrying around on a daily basis.

Fantastic resource for all children, 09 Oct 2000
This dictionary was recommended by my mother - a primary teacher over over 20 years experience as the best infant dictionary around. Having purchased it - I can only agree. Fully supports the National Curiculum.

Kids will love it, 03 Mar 2008
I am a Grand Ma and improved my Grand Ma ratings with all my grand children when I gave this to a 7 year old for Christmas. Cool, awsome, and other such things that are not often associated with Grand Ma's. All that said, I enjoyed the book myself as I have a hard and fast rule, don't give anything you would not like to receive. It is also the sort of book you can go back to over and over again, and, I am assured, it has a high swap value!!!

'So just tell me why is snot green?!, 31 Jul 2007
I bought this book today and I've got to tell you I just could not put it down! Believe it or not it is not boring! Kids and even adults will get a lot of fun out of this book. Every page is filled with cool questions and fascinating answers e.g. Will we be able to travel back in time? Will people have flying cars? Why is snot green? Find out all the answers in this book. You get lots of answers to the same question to help you understand more about the topic e.g. Why is the sky blue? (answer) Eh? Wait a minute - I thought air was invisible... (answer) and so on! It seems like the book will never end and that's a good thing! Anyway this is a great book and it is well worth the money. Buy it! You won't regret it!



Excellent, 19 Sep 2008
In our house it's called the Great Big Book of Everything. My son is five and we have this book for a couple of years. Thoroughly recommended.

Feed Their Minds, 23 Mar 2006
It is amazing just how often we under-estimate the young mind's hunger for knowledge and their ability to understand. My 4 year old son is vey curious about the world around him, everything from planets to electricity.

We now read the 'stories'in this book on a daily basis and he always insists on 'just one more'. It is easy to read with complementary graphics and is therefore a great way to introduce them to facts. I would strongly recommend it for parents who find themselves providing information to their children.

Absolutely Breathtaking!, 24 Apr 2008
I have just received this book from Amazon this morning and couldn't believe just how beautiful it is.So often with books I have read reviews and been slightly disappointed by the real thing-not so today. It is superbly made with stunning pop-ups and small chunks of accessible text by way of small information books -all with their own pop-ups.My children aged 7 and 4 have absolutely loved it and I am on here to order some more copies as birthday presents.A book that will be treasured!

great dinosaur book, 17 Mar 2008
we found this at our local library and just loved it and have since bought it for gifts. The pop-up creatures are amazing. My 7yr old son also got the mega-beast book, lots of interesting information on each page.

Wonderful, 17 Nov 2007
I bought this for my nephew's third birthday & it was a massive hit. I was a bit concerned as the dinosaurs are quite impressionistic but all concerned were amazed and enthralled & it's set to be a top book throughout his childhood as he grows into the different things the book has to offer.

A magical marvel, 24 Aug 2006
My 4 year old on received this spectacular book for his birthday and I have to say that it is simply wonderful. Bed time reading has never been so much fun, and we can never wait to discover what is hidden on the next page. This book is now on all of his friends wish lists and will undoubtedly grow with him.

Dinosaurs pop to life!, 01 Mar 2006
A gorgeous wonder of a book. Robert Sabauda has outdone himself this time. My five-year old adores it and feels very big and accomplished to have his very own encyclopedia! Each page has mini-pop up books. At every reading, it seems there is something new to be discovered about dinosaurs. My son loves to just stare and dream at the pop-ups. The information is fascinating as well. This book is destined to be a classic, one that our family will treasure for a long while.

Inspirational, 01 Nov 2007
Can dressing up be art? How Do you paint feelings? Can you paint a noise? This book stimulates children's own creativity and imagination by getting them to question why artists do the things they do. It contains about 30 reproductions of paintings and art work from a mix of genres and explains what they are about and how they were created as well as giving detail on the artists lives. After we bought this we took our son to The National Gallery to see many of the works for real and having already had a basic introduction through this book he was utterly fasicnated. Adults can learn from this too and I would buy it for any child from 5+ What is so lovely about this book is the fact that you can read it on so many differnent levels. There is a second book just out and I'm sure Santa will be delivering it to this household at Christmas.

The Art Book for Children, 27 Oct 2007
This book is fantastic. Not only is it a great introduction to some of the most famous works of art in the world but it is also a lot of fun. It inspires imagination and helps children (and adults) to think about what they are looking at and what their interpretation is. I will be interested to see how my 6 year old's perception changes as she gets older. It makes a great change to the usual bedtime storytelling and is well worth buying!

Winner of the English 4-11 Key Stage 2 Non-Fiction Award, 10 Mar 2007
This large, well-organised book introduces older primary children, through excellent reproductions, to the work of thirty artists, including painters, sculptors, photographers and engravers. It also supports young readers in an active search of the works for understanding about colour, form, texture and pattern. Gentle, insightful questioning helps children explore how artists communicate ideas, meanings and feelings. One theme that runs through the book is - what counts as art?

Gilbert and George (who apparently do everything together) are artists, but as they form their own 'living sculptures' they are also the subject of the art they create. Does dressing-up count as art? Cindy Sherman is the subject of all her photographic portraits, each one showing her in a different set of clothes and a different wig.

There is just the right amount of writing about each artist and it has a welcome speculative tone. So we read about the painting called 'Spring' that 'no-one knows exactly what Botticelli was trying to tell us when he put these figures together.' There are also activities to try out. For example, children can take up the abstract artist Joan Miro's idea of drawing simple shapes like a woman, a star, or a triangle, while wearing a blindfold. This book would be an excellent resource in the school, but is also something for parents to share with their children or for children to read independently.

The Best Buy Yet, 16 Oct 2007
For someone who appreciates flora and fauna AND good books - This is a fantastic buy. As a relative beginner to the world of fungi, this book ticks all the boxes for a reference book (so probably a bit big for the field). There are loads of information (basic and advanced) on each fungus and of particular interest to me: The common name of most of the fungi is included. Our fungi have been named with elaborate and humorous names which I find easier to remember than the Latin name. I mainly have a culinary interest in mushrooms and this has great notes on edibility and the fact that you need to know which ones CAN'T be eaten, so congratulations on a truly great piece of work.


Excellent Photographs, 13 Aug 2007

Roger Phillips is the author of a number of books including ones on Wild Food, Wild Flowers, Trees and Grasses among others. The photographs in this book are of excellent quality and this really is essential, particularly for those who are using the book to identify the edible forms of the mushroom of which there are many more than most people think.

The book differentiates quite clearly between those fungi that are edible and those that are not. It also gives the medicinal properties of many of them. I enjoy spotting different ones when I am out walking but I prefer to err on the side of caution and buy mine from the supermarket. However I do know that in France they are much more adventurous regarding their eating of fungi and good luck to them.

Now the best guide available to British fungi, 08 Sep 2006
I bought Phillips' pioneering "Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe" when it came out in the early 1980s for identifying British fungi. At the time it was revolutionary in the use of photographs that allowed the author to depict mushrooms much more accurately than the paintings of earlier guides. Until recently, it was still one of the top field guides to this region (also check Courtecuisse & Duhem, and Jordan [ISBN 0002200252]). I still use this volume a lot for identifying American fungi, both in the tropics and northward. Although I have over 200 field guides of different sorts on my shelves this remains one of my all time favourites.

This current book, Mushrooms (ISBN 0330442376), supersedes the older Phillips guide. It follows the format of the original book quite closely, but is now slightly smaller to make it more of a field guide - about the same size as Skinner's "Moths of the British Isles" (ISBN 0670803545) and, although still won't fit into a pocket, it is much more manageable than the older A4-sized book. There are 1,250 photographs, all of the excellent quality one associates with the author. Some 200 extra species are treated. Taxonomy and text has been brought up to date and into line with the standard taxonomy and nomenclature of lists published by the British Mycological Society.

If you're interested in fungi, don't hesitate - this book must be on your shelves. When you consider how much work went into this project, this represents tremendous value for money.

Chris Sharpe, 8 September 2006. ISBN: 0330442376

Magic, 05 Sep 2006
Roger Phillips has produced an invaluable guide to the mushrooms we find here in Britain and to what we can practically do with them. Many are edible and most have at least some sort of medicinal purpose, even if that's only to numb the pain of everyday life for an hour or two. A month or so ago, one of my work colleagues was certain he'd seen some Amanita Muscaria growing on a rooftop opposite the office. At lunchtime he managed to get onto the roof and we watched as he edged round the corner of the water tank on all fours, seemingly oblivious to the danger. Closer and closer he got, crawling along a narrow ledge until he reached the mushrooms. We were at once impressed and astonished. However, much to his chagrin, closer inspection of the mushrooms showed that they were in fact toadstools. This revelation seemed to shatter his cloak of bravery somewhat and he suddenly realised where he was and what he was doing. Rather embarrassingly, given the audience that had gathered in our office, he started to cry and call out for his mother. To cut a long story short, he had to be rescued by the fire brigade and has been pretty sheepish since. Anyway, this tale, and Phillips' book, shows that mushrooms can be found just about anywhere and that as a damp and dark island, we're jam-packed with them.

Perfect for KS2, 31 Jul 2008
My son needed something more than his picture dictionary, but not so large he lost interest in looking a word up - and this is perfect.

The only down side is the size (A5) and being a hardback, it is a little heavy for carrying around on a daily basis.

Fantastic resource for all children, 09 Oct 2000
This dictionary was recommended by my mother - a primary teacher over over 20 years experience as the best infant dictionary around. Having purchased it - I can only agree. Fully supports the National Curiculum.

Kids will love it, 03 Mar 2008
I am a Grand Ma and improved my Grand Ma ratings with all my grand children when I gave this to a 7 year old for Christmas. Cool, awsome, and other such things that are not often associated with Grand Ma's. All that said, I enjoyed the book myself as I have a hard and fast rule, don't give anything you would not like to receive. It is also the sort of book you can go back to over and over again, and, I am assured, it has a high swap value!!!

'So just tell me why is snot green?!, 31 Jul 2007
I bought this book today and I've got to tell you I just could not put it down! Believe it or not it is not boring! Kids and even adults will get a lot of fun out of this book. Every page is filled with cool questions and fascinating answers e.g. Will we be able to travel back in time? Will people have flying cars? Why is snot green? Find out all the answers in this book. You get lots of answers to the same question to help you understand more about the topic e.g. Why is the sky blue? (answer) Eh? Wait a minute - I thought air was invisible... (answer) and so on! It seems like the book will never end and that's a good thing! Anyway this is a great book and it is well worth the money. Buy it! You won't regret it!



Excellent, 19 Sep 2008
In our house it's called the Great Big Book of Everything. My son is five and we have this book for a couple of years. Thoroughly recommended.

Feed Their Minds, 23 Mar 2006
It is amazing just how often we under-estimate the young mind's hunger for knowledge and their ability to understand. My 4 year old son is vey curious about the world around him, everything from planets to electricity.

We now read the 'stories'in this book on a daily basis and he always insists on 'just one more'. It is easy to read with complementary graphics and is therefore a great way to introduce them to facts. I would strongly recommend it for parents who find themselves providing information to their children.

Absolutely Breathtaking!, 24 Apr 2008
I have just received this book from Amazon this morning and couldn't believe just how beautiful it is.So often with books I have read reviews and been slightly disappointed by the real thing-not so today. It is superbly made with stunning pop-ups and small chunks of accessible text by way of small information books -all with their own pop-ups.My children aged 7 and 4 have absolutely loved it and I am on here to order some more copies as birthday presents.A book that will be treasured!

great dinosaur book, 17 Mar 2008
we found this at our local library and just loved it and have since bought it for gifts. The pop-up creatures are amazing. My 7yr old son also got the mega-beast book, lots of interesting information on each page.

Wonderful, 17 Nov 2007
I bought this for my nephew's third birthday & it was a massive hit. I was a bit concerned as the dinosaurs are quite impressionistic but all concerned were amazed and enthralled & it's set to be a top book throughout his childhood as he grows into the different things the book has to offer.

A magical marvel, 24 Aug 2006
My 4 year old on received this spectacular book for his birthday and I have to say that it is simply wonderful. Bed time reading has never been so much fun, and we can never wait to discover what is hidden on the next page. This book is now on all of his friends wish lists and will undoubtedly grow with him.

Dinosaurs pop to life!, 01 Mar 2006
A gorgeous wonder of a book. Robert Sabauda has outdone himself this time. My five-year old adores it and feels very big and accomplished to have his very own encyclopedia! Each page has mini-pop up books. At every reading, it seems there is something new to be discovered about dinosaurs. My son loves to just stare and dream at the pop-ups. The information is fascinating as well. This book is destined to be a classic, one that our family will treasure for a long while.

Inspirational, 01 Nov 2007
Can dressing up be art? How Do you paint feelings? Can you paint a noise? This book stimulates children's own creativity and imagination by getting them to question why artists do the things they do. It contains about 30 reproductions of paintings and art work from a mix of genres and explains what they are about and how they were created as well as giving detail on the artists lives. After we bought this we took our son to The National Gallery to see many of the works for real and having already had a basic introduction through this book he was utterly fasicnated. Adults can learn from this too and I would buy it for any child from 5+ What is so lovely about this book is the fact that you can read it on so many differnent levels. There is a second book just out and I'm sure Santa will be delivering it to this household at Christmas.

The Art Book for Children, 27 Oct 2007
This book is fantastic. Not only is it a great introduction to some of the most famous works of art in the world but it is also a lot of fun. It inspires imagination and helps children (and adults) to think about what they are looking at and what their interpretation is. I will be interested to see how my 6 year old's perception changes as she gets older. It makes a great change to the usual bedtime storytelling and is well worth buying!

Winner of the English 4-11 Key Stage 2 Non-Fiction Award, 10 Mar 2007
This large, well-organised book introduces older primary children, through excellent reproductions, to the work of thirty artists, including painters, sculptors, photographers and engravers. It also supports young readers in an active search of the works for understanding about colour, form, texture and pattern. Gentle, insightful questioning helps children explore how artists communicate ideas, meanings and feelings. One theme that runs through the book is - what counts as art?

Gilbert and George (who apparently do everything together) are artists, but as they form their own 'living sculptures' they are also the subject of the art they create. Does dressing-up count as art? Cindy Sherman is the subject of all her photographic portraits, each one showing her in a different set of clothes and a different wig.

There is just the right amount of writing about each artist and it has a welcome speculative tone. So we read about the painting called 'Spring' that 'no-one knows exactly what Botticelli was trying to tell us when he put these figures together.' There are also activities to try out. For example, children can take up the abstract artist Joan Miro's idea of drawing simple shapes like a woman, a star, or a triangle, while wearing a blindfold. This book would be an excellent resource in the school, but is also something for parents to share with their children or for children to read independently.

So nearly perfect!, 07 Apr 2008
My 12 year old son picked this up and read in from front to back in preference to playing computer games - says it all, really! He adored it, but was slightly upset that not all elements were represented. I suggested it would have made it too large and not in the excellent 'pocket book' category, but he is correct that it is not only the wierd and wonderful elements that are missing but some basic ones too. Any chance of a 'Periodic Table Book 2' to fill in some gaps?
The subsequent 'Physics: Why Matter Matters' is even better and we can't wait for the Biology one in Oct 2008. Hope the series keeps going!

Just the best Periodic Table EVER!!!, 18 Jul 2007
This is how Science is supposed to be - FUN!
The book is accurate and covers everything a young mind would need to know about the elements and the little poster that comes with it (not shown here but is folded up in the back of the bok) is AMAZING!
I have scoured the internet for a periodic table for my son, and they come in many shapes and sizes but htis one is ideal as the colourful cartoon characters each element is given are represented on the chart too and he is really keen to learn all about them!
The book is written in the first person for each element and several interesting facts are given for each element as well as the important scientific data in easy to refer to bullet point form at the top of every page.
The elements are grouped correctly and each group has its own title page with description of the main features of each group (i.e. what makes the group what it is and how to identify elements that belong to that group)
the book is smaller than I thought but that just makes it even more accesible and the text is a good size, not too big, yet big enough to keep small eyes glued to the page.
I am now on the hunt to see if Kingfisher have published any more science books in this style as I want them all
Also an ideal read for Adults trying to pick up Science again after many years ( like me)
Super - really worth the money, and mine was delivered in 2 days.

OK - so its not for chemistry A-level or above, but anything below that level is sure to love it and to behonest I am thrilled that the book has given my son of 9 a chance to access the periodic table and that I won't all be far too tedious for him when he gets into Chemistry more later - he'll be one up on his classmates.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 30 May 2007
Who said chemistry had to be boring? (I'm sure no one has ever said this, but someone sure forgot to tell my science teacher!) Basher and Adrian Dingle have come together to create an entertaining and valuable resource for students with their version of the 111 elements.

Whether you're studying chemistry in school right now or not, you're sure to get a kick out of the full-color illustrations inside the pages of this book. Plus, you might actually learn something, as each element is fully described in detail: the name, its symbol, its atomic number, its atomic weight, its color, its standard state, and its classification.

The elements are also broken down into eleven separate categories, including the Alkali Metals, the Transition Elements, the Boron Elements, the Carbon Elements, the Nitrogen Elements, the Oxygen Elements, the Halogen Elements, the Noble Gases, the Lanthanides and Actinides, and the Transactinides.

This is the perfect, easy-to-use reference guide for people of all ages, and the included poster can easily be used for an educating, stylish decorating tool. Who knew elements could be so interesting??

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Elements with Style indeed!, 21 May 2007
Although the previous reviewer is correct in saying that not all the elements were represented in this book - I think this is not the point of the book.....Some elements, as I'm sure he is aware, have only been detected for millonths of a second - so writing much about them might, at this level, be a bit tough! I thought it was a wonderfully attractive book that breathed some new life into this subject - it was an excellent idea to give each of the elements a "personality"; and the text, on the whole, was witty and entertaining and accurate!

Short-changed, 25 Apr 2007
The concept behind this book is quite appealing: present cameo portraits of the elements of the periodic table as if they were personalities (Lead: "Don't let my heavyweight status fool you---at heart I'm a totally malleable softie...") accompanied by fun, manga-style cartoon characters. This kind of approach has the potential to appeal to older children.

Where it falls down is that of the 111 elements shown on the folded 9.5" x 13.5" poster at the back of the book, only 54 (i.e. less than half) are actually written up in the book proper. Thus, for example, Cadmium, shown on the back cover, and Polonium---intriguingly shown on the front cover no less---are conspicuously absent. The Boron elements mysteriously stop after Aluminium; missing are Gallium, Indium and Thallium. The entirety of the Lanthanoids and Transactinides has been given short-shrift.

These are disappointing omissions. The end product is frustratingly superficial, redundant (who cares about Lead---tell me something interesting about an element I may have never heard of e.g. Gallium, Europium, Astatine etc) and incomplete.

The Best Buy Yet, 16 Oct 2007
For someone who appreciates flora and fauna AND good books - This is a fantastic buy. As a relative beginner to the world of fungi, this book ticks all the boxes for a reference book (so probably a bit big for the field). There are loads of information (basic and advanced) on each fungus and of particular interest to me: The common name of most of the fungi is included. Our fungi have been named with elaborate and humorous names which I find easier to remember than the Latin name. I mainly have a culinary interest in mushrooms and this has great notes on edibility and the fact that you need to know which ones CAN'T be eaten, so congratulations on a truly great piece of work.


Excellent Photographs, 13 Aug 2007

Roger Phillips is the author of a number of books including ones on Wild Food, Wild Flowers, Trees and Grasses among others. The photographs in this book are of excellent quality and this really is essential, particularly for those who are using the book to identify the edible forms of the mushroom of which there are many more than most people think.

The book differentiates quite clearly between those fungi that are edible and those that are not. It also gives the medicinal properties of many of them. I enjoy spotting different ones when I am out walking but I prefer to err on the side of caution and buy mine from the supermarket. However I do know that in France they are much more adventurous regarding their eating of fungi and good luck to them.

Now the best guide available to British fungi, 08 Sep 2006
I bought Phillips' pioneering "Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe" when it came out in the early 1980s for identifying British fungi. At the time it was revolutionary in the use of photographs that allowed the author to depict mushrooms much more accurately than the paintings of earlier guides. Until recently, it was still one of the top field guides to this region (also check Courtecuisse & Duhem, and Jordan [ISBN 0002200252]). I still use this volume a lot for identifying American fungi, both in the tropics and northward. Although I have over 200 field guides of different sorts on my shelves this remains one of my all time favourites.

This current book, Mushrooms (ISBN 0330442376), supersedes the older Phillips guide. It follows the format of the original book quite closely, but is now slightly smaller to make it more of a field guide - about the same size as Skinner's "Moths of the British Isles" (ISBN 0670803545) and, although still won't fit into a pocket, it is much more manageable than the older A4-sized book. There are 1,250 photographs, all of the excellent quality one associates with the author. Some 200 extra species are treated. Taxonomy and text has been brought up to date and into line with the standard taxonomy and nomenclature of lists published by the British Mycological Society.

If you're interested in fungi, don't hesitate - this book must be on your shelves. When you consider how much work went into this project, this represents tremendous value for money.

Chris Sharpe, 8 September 2006. ISBN: 0330442376

Magic, 05 Sep 2006
Roger Phillips has produced an invaluable guide to the mushrooms we find here in Britain and to what we can practically do with them. Many are edible and most have at least some sort of medicinal purpose, even if that's only to numb the pain of everyday life for an hour or two. A month or so ago, one of my work colleagues was certain he'd seen some Amanita Muscaria growing on a rooftop opposite the office. At lunchtime he managed to get onto the roof and we watched as he edged round the corner of the water tank on all fours, seemingly oblivious to the danger. Closer and closer he got, crawling along a narrow ledge until he reached the mushrooms. We were at once impressed and astonished. However, much to his chagrin, closer inspection of the mushrooms showed that they were in fact toadstools. This revelation seemed to shatter his cloak of bravery somewhat and he suddenly realised where he was and what he was doing. Rather embarrassingly, given the audience that had gathered in our office, he started to cry and call out for his mother. To cut a long story short, he had to be rescued by the fire brigade and has been pretty sheepish since. Anyway, this tale, and Phillips' book, shows that mushrooms can be found just about anywhere and that as a damp and dark island, we're jam-packed with them.

Perfect for KS2, 31 Jul 2008
My son needed something more than his picture dictionary, but not so large he lost interest in looking a word up - and this is perfect.

The only down side is the size (A5) and being a hardback, it is a little heavy for carrying around on a daily basis.

Fantastic resource for all children, 09 Oct 2000
This dictionary was recommended by my mother - a primary teacher over over 20 years experience as the best infant dictionary around. Having purchased it - I can only agree. Fully supports the National Curiculum.

Kids will love it, 03 Mar 2008
I am a Grand Ma and improved my Grand Ma ratings with all my grand children when I gave this to a 7 year old for Christmas. Cool, awsome, and other such things that are not often associated with Grand Ma's. All that said, I enjoyed the book myself as I have a hard and fast rule, don't give anything you would not like to receive. It is also the sort of book you can go back to over and over again, and, I am assured, it has a high swap value!!!

'So just tell me why is snot green?!, 31 Jul 2007
I bought this book today and I've got to tell you I just could not put it down! Believe it or not it is not boring! Kids and even adults will get a lot of fun out of this book. Every page is filled with cool questions and fascinating answers e.g. Will we be able to travel back in time? Will people have flying cars? Why is snot green? Find out all the answers in this book. You get lots of answers to the same question to help you understand more about the topic e.g. Why is the sky blue? (answer) Eh? Wait a minute - I thought air was invisible... (answer) and so on! It seems like the book will never end and that's a good thing! Anyway this is a great book and it is well worth the money. Buy it! You won't regret it!



Excellent, 19 Sep 2008
In our house it's called the Great Big Book of Everything. My son is five and we have this book for a couple of years. Thoroughly recommended.

Feed Their Minds, 23 Mar 2006
It is amazing just how often we under-estimate the young mind's hunger for knowledge and their ability to understand. My 4 year old son is vey curious about the world around him, everything from planets to electricity.

We now read the 'stories'in this book on a daily basis and he always insists on 'just one more'. It is easy to read with complementary graphics and is therefore a great way to introduce them to facts. I would strongly recommend it for parents who find themselves providing information to their children.

Absolutely Breathtaking!, 24 Apr 2008
I have just received this book from Amazon this morning and couldn't believe just how beautiful it is.So often with books I have read reviews and been slightly disappointed by the real thing-not so today. It is superbly made with stunning pop-ups and small chunks of accessible text by way of small information books -all with their own pop-ups.My children aged 7 and 4 have absolutely loved it and I am on here to order some more copies as birthday presents.A book that will be treasured!

great dinosaur book, 17 Mar 2008
we found this at our local library and just loved it and have since bought it for gifts. The pop-up creatures are amazing. My 7yr old son also got the mega-beast book, lots of interesting information on each page.

Wonderful, 17 Nov 2007
I bought this for my nephew's third birthday & it was a massive hit. I was a bit concerned as the dinosaurs are quite impressionistic but all concerned were amazed and enthralled & it's set to be a top book throughout his childhood as he grows into the different things the book has to offer.

A magical marvel, 24 Aug 2006
My 4 year old on received this spectacular book for his birthday and I have to say that it is simply wonderful. Bed time reading has never been so much fun, and we can never wait to discover what is hidden on the next page. This book is now on all of his friends wish lists and will undoubtedly grow with him.

Dinosaurs pop to life!, 01 Mar 2006
A gorgeous wonder of a book. Robert Sabauda has outdone himself this time. My five-year old adores it and feels very big and accomplished to have his very own encyclopedia! Each page has mini-pop up books. At every reading, it seems there is something new to be discovered about dinosaurs. My son loves to just stare and dream at the pop-ups. The information is fascinating as well. This book is destined to be a classic, one that our family will treasure for a long while.

Inspirational, 01 Nov 2007
Can dressing up be art? How Do you paint feelings? Can you paint a noise? This book stimulates children's own creativity and imagination by getting them to question why artists do the things they do. It contains about 30 reproductions of paintings and art work from a mix of genres and explains what they are about and how they were created as well as giving detail on the artists lives. After we bought this we took our son to The National Gallery to see many of the works for real and having already had a basic introduction through this book he was utterly fasicnated. Adults can learn from this too and I would buy it for any child from 5+ What is so lovely about this book is the fact that you can read it on so many differnent levels. There is a second book just out and I'm sure Santa will be delivering it to this household at Christmas.

The Art Book for Children, 27 Oct 2007
This book is fantastic. Not only is it a great introduction to some of the most famous works of art in the world but it is also a lot of fun. It inspires imagination and helps children (and adults) to think about what they are looking at and what their interpretation is. I will be interested to see how my 6 year old's perception changes as she gets older. It makes a great change to the usual bedtime storytelling and is well worth buying!

Winner of the English 4-11 Key Stage 2 Non-Fiction Award, 10 Mar 2007
This large, well-organised book introduces older primary children, through excellent reproductions, to the work of thirty artists, including painters, sculptors, photographers and engravers. It also supports young readers in an active search of the works for understanding about colour, form, texture and pattern. Gentle, insightful questioning helps children explore how artists communicate ideas, meanings and feelings. One theme that runs through the book is - what counts as art?

Gilbert and George (who apparently do everything together) are artists, but as they form their own 'living sculptures' they are also the subject of the art they create. Does dressing-up count as art? Cindy Sherman is the subject of all her photographic portraits, each one showing her in a different set of clothes and a different wig.

There is just the right amount of writing about each artist and it has a welcome speculative tone. So we read about the painting called 'Spring' that 'no-one knows exactly what Botticelli was trying to tell us when he put these figures together.' There are also activities to try out. For example, children can take up the abstract artist Joan Miro's idea of drawing simple shapes like a woman, a star, or a triangle, while wearing a blindfold. This book would be an excellent resource in the school, but is also something for parents to share with their children or for children to read independently.

So nearly perfect!, 07 Apr 2008
My 12 year old son picked this up and read in from front to back in preference to playing computer games - says it all, really! He adored it, but was slightly upset that not all elements were represented. I suggested it would have made it too large and not in the excellent 'pocket book' category, but he is correct that it is not only the wierd and wonderful elements that are missing but some basic ones too. Any chance of a 'Periodic Table Book 2' to fill in some gaps?
The subsequent 'Physics: Why Matter Matters' is even better and we can't wait for the Biology one in Oct 2008. Hope the series keeps going!

Just the best Periodic Table EVER!!!, 18 Jul 2007
This is how Science is supposed to be - FUN!
The book is accurate and covers everything a young mind would need to know about the elements and the little poster that comes with it (not shown here but is folded up in the back of the bok) is AMAZING!
I have scoured the internet for a periodic table for my son, and they come in many shapes and sizes but htis one is ideal as the colourful cartoon characters each element is given are represented on the chart too and he is really keen to learn all about them!
The book is written in the first person for each element and several interesting facts are given for each element as well as the important scientific data in easy to refer to bullet point form at the top of every page.
The elements are grouped correctly and each group has its own title page with description of the main features of each group (i.e. what makes the group what it is and how to identify elements that belong to that group)
the book is smaller than I thought but that just makes it even more accesible and the text is a good size, not too big, yet big enough to keep small eyes glued to the page.
I am now on the hunt to see if Kingfisher have published any more science books in this style as I want them all
Also an ideal read for Adults trying to pick up Science again after many years ( like me)
Super - really worth the money, and mine was delivered in 2 days.

OK - so its not for chemistry A-level or above, but anything below that level is sure to love it and to behonest I am thrilled that the book has given my son of 9 a chance to access the periodic table and that I won't all be far too tedious for him when he gets into Chemistry more later - he'll be one up on his classmates.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 30 May 2007
Who said chemistry had to be boring? (I'm sure no one has ever said this, but someone sure forgot to tell my science teacher!) Basher and Adrian Dingle have come together to create an entertaining and valuable resource for students with their version of the 111 elements.

Whether you're studying chemistry in school right now or not, you're sure to get a kick out of the full-color illustrations inside the pages of this book. Plus, you might actually learn something, as each element is fully described in detail: the name, its symbol, its atomic number, its atomic weight, its color, its standard state, and its classification.

The elements are also broken down into eleven separate categories, including the Alkali Metals, the Transition Elements, the Boron Elements, the Carbon Elements, the Nitrogen Elements, the Oxygen Elements, the Halogen Elements, the Noble Gases, the Lanthanides and Actinides, and the Transactinides.

This is the perfect, easy-to-use reference guide for people of all ages, and the included poster can easily be used for an educating, stylish decorating tool. Who knew elements could be so interesting??

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Elements with Style indeed!, 21 May 2007
Although the previous reviewer is correct in saying that not all the elements were represented in this book - I think this is not the point of the book.....Some elements, as I'm sure he is aware, have only been detected for millonths of a second - so writing much about them might, at this level, be a bit tough! I thought it was a wonderfully attractive book that breathed some new life into this subject - it was an excellent idea to give each of the elements a "personality"; and the text, on the whole, was witty and entertaining and accurate!

Short-changed, 25 Apr 2007
The concept behind this book is quite appealing: present cameo portraits of the elements of the periodic table as if they were personalities (Lead: "Don't let my heavyweight status fool you---at heart I'm a totally malleable softie...") accompanied by fun, manga-style cartoon characters. This kind of approach has the potential to appeal to older children.

Where it falls down is that of the 111 elements shown on the folded 9.5" x 13.5" poster at the back of the book, only 54 (i.e. less than half) are actually written up in the book proper. Thus, for example, Cadmium, shown on the back cover, and Polonium---intriguingly shown on the front cover no less---are conspicuously absent. The Boron elements mysteriously stop after Aluminium; missing are Gallium, Indium and Thallium. The entirety of the Lanthanoids and Transactinides has been given short-shrift.

These are disappointing omissions. The end product is frustratingly superficial, redundant (who cares about Lead---tell me something interesting about an element I may have never heard of e.g. Gallium, Europium, Astatine etc) and incomplete.

Superb, 01 Apr 2008
Bought this for my 5 year olds 5th birthday. Wasn't sure if it would be too old for him but its not its absolutely super and we read it every night together, he then looks at the pictures on his own and finds something he wants to learn more about the next night. I know he will use it for years to come as once he starts to read himself he will discover even more. Its split into 7 sections: My Body; People and Places; The Arts; The Earth; Animals and Plants; Scence and technology and The Universe. These are then split into sub sections. So for example My Body has 'look at me' 'my outside' 'bones and muscles' lungs and breathing'
' being born' 'illness' etc etc
Each section has interesting facts about how things work and also 'experiments' they can try out and to understand more about the subject. All the pages have pictures, photos and diagrams which make it interesting for a child that cannot read too.
I am very pleased with it and am buying another for my nephew. Well recommended.

primary 1 and 2 homework made easy, 14 Jan 2008
This encyclopedia is a must buy for parents who care about their kids education.

Combined with the kids dictonary - homework is a great fun. I am an utter git and made the kids look up the topic and read it then help them out.

Makes them think and learn from themselves and I am sure it impresses the teacher when we find some obscure fact and shove it in.

Dont expect it to be of any use for a University education, nor will it cover every subject under the sun. But it does cover the "Sun" and "Universities".

Cannot be recommended highly enough, 24 Aug 2005
I bought the Oxford First Encyclopedia for my six-and-a-half year old daughter for Christmas 2005. It has been the one present that she has consistently and continually gone back to over this year, so I'm buying one for her cousin!

The wording has been well thought out and is just right for kids of around six to about ten or eleven, so the encyclopedia certainly has shelf life. Simple subjects are made interesting and difficult subjects are well explained through the use of some very stylish illustrations, photographs and diagrams.

The book has been very supportive as it covers many of the subjects taught under the national curriculum at the ages I mention above. It's also a good, solid hardback, so it has survived the school bag for nearly a year.

High recommended.