The Big Book of Belonging

By Yuval Zommer

During the last couple of weeks we have been taking a part in a readalong with a difference.

Instead of discussions with other readers, I have been having discussions with the Little Monster. We have been reading different sections of the book and talking about the themes of the pages, the information and illustrations and anything that pops in ours heads.

What it’s about?

The Big Book of Belonging is a timely celebration of all the ways that humans are connected to life on planet Earth. With children at the heart of every beautifully illustrated spread, this book draws parallels between the way humans, plants, and animals live and behave. We all breathe the same air and take warmth from the same sun, we grow, we adapt to the seasons, and we live together in family groups.

Readers will be fascinated to learn that instead of using words to communicate, fava beans send chemical messages through their roots, Caribbean reef squid send warnings of danger and even declarations of love by changing color, and that adorable big-eyed primates called tarsiers make calls to one another over the noise of the rainforest that are too high-pitched for predators to hear. By putting children at the heart of the book’s concept, author Yuval Zommer unites readers of the Big Book series from all corners of the world under one banner–of belonging to planet Earth. The book’s gentle message of caring for nature will inspire readers of all ages and encourage a new generation of environmentalists to flourish.

What we think:

We have loved this book!

The illustrations are beautiful and full of detail and the facts are varied and interesing which prompt lots of discussion.

The overall message of the book is appreciation for nature, our place in the world and how humans can prore t the planet.

The timing of this was peref t as the Little Monster has been learning all about plastic and the environment in year 1. He is really aware of littering and recycling.

We love being outside and have really enjoyed the challenges. The Little Monster has been helping his grandparents build a hedgehog house for a rescue hog that has been released back into the wild so we have had interesting discussion about habitats and hibernation. We combined a woodland walk with a leaf hunt to make a warm bed for the hedgehog.

This is an absolutely gorgeous book that would make a fantastic gift for nature loving little readers. It’s the perfect to book to dip in and out of. Open it on any page and you are guaranteed to find something interesting to talk about making learning fun.

My Little Monster loved the info about poo!

Thank you to Thames and Hudson for our gifted copy of the book and to Tandem Collective for inviting us to be a part of this readalong.

It’s a 10 out of 10 read for us!