Many: The Diversity of Life on Earth
Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Emily Sutton
Candlewick Press, 2017
32 pages
Trigger Warning: Animal extinction
About the Author: Nicola Davies is a Welsh zoologist and writer. She has always been fascinated with animals, and in addition to researching them, she has published dozens of children’s books, both fiction and nonfiction, about Earth’s biodiversity, including Tiny Creatures (also illustrated by Emily Sutton) and Perfect. Davies is currently working on sperm whale research in the Sea of Cortez while continuing to write. You can find more about her at http://www.nicola-davies.com/about.php.
About the Illustrator: Emily Sutton graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art. She enjoys crafting images rich in color and detail and is based in her home.
“We have learned that every kind of living thing is part of a big, beautiful, complicated pattern”
There are more than one, two, or even three kinds of things on our planet; there are many, many creatures, all in many shapes and many sizes and many forms. In this nonfiction read, Davies and Sutton explore the diversity of life on earth and the habitats in which we find life, from “the backs of beetles” to deserts to “boiling volcanic lakes.”
Davies successfully educates the reader on scientific ideas and concepts in words simple enough for young children to understand, while including more complicated facts that older audiences will appreciate. The artwork immerses the reader into a variety of ecosystems, brimming with color and vibrancy and detail. Many is perfect for curious kids, animal lovers, or readers who appreciate the world around them, protecting and admiring all life instead of taking advantage of it.
Many demonstrates the how Earth’s beauty depends on all creatures, not just one.