Gift Books From National Geographic Kids 2021 & Giveaway!

These two new books from National Geographic Kids would make perfect holiday gifts for young kids who love science!

National Geographic Kids World Atlas 6th Edition 

Published Aug. 2021

National Geographic Kids

Paperback

216 Pages 

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

Learn all about the people, places, trends, and developments of our world in the sixth edition of this acclaimed atlas. All the latest, greatest geographic and political information makes this a valuable resource for using in the classroom or reading at home.

This new edition features:
A new map on global migration that introduces kids to the movement of people around the world
New graphics that present facts in an easy-to-read format
Colorful photography that shows the beauty and diversity of our world

This atlas is the perfect reference for kids to learn about lands close to home or oceans away.
Complete your atlas collection with the National Geographic Kids United States Atlas, 6th edition!
And for younger readers, don’t miss the National Geographic Kids Beginner’s World Atlas, 4th edition, and the National Geographic Kids Beginner’s United States Atlas, 3rd edition.

The Ultimate Book of African Animals

Published August 2021

by National Geographic Kids

Hardcover

192 Pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

Join this amazing team to learn all about Africa's unique wildlife, including lions, elephants, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, hippos, gorillas, rhinos, and so many more!
With so many species showcased, this book leaves no grain of sand unturned and no jungle unexplored! Inside you'll find animals of all behaviors, shapes and sizes, from the tiny bombardier beetle to the sneaky desert viper to mischievous monkeys and elusive Ethiopian wolves.
Brimming with breathtaking and iconic National Geographic photographs on every page and loads of fascinating animal facts, readers discover how these animals live and eat, the challenges they face, and how to help protect them. Complete your collection with National Geographic Kids' TheUltimate Book of Sharks!

Enter the giveaway to win both of these books below! US Only. Winner will be randomly selected on Friday, Dec. 10. 

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Absolute Expert Series from National Geographic

National Geographic Books has an excellent new series. Each book is dedicated to presenting information on a single topic including animals, sports and other things in science. Each book is chocked full of interesting facts, stats, diagrams, flow charts and other text features. These features accompany the amazing photographs and illustrations. This series has something for every reader. Here are the first 4 titles. 

Absolute Expert: Soccer

by Eric Zweig

Published May, 2018

National Geographic

112 Pages

Goodreads Summary

Learn everything you've ever wanted to know about soccer in an eye-catching, page-turning book for aspiring experts, featuring exclusive content from a real Major League Soccer referee, Mark Geiger!
Score! Can't get enough of your favorite super sport? This action-packed book is chock-full of awesome facts and fun for soccer fans! Join real-life Major League Soccer and Olympic referee Mark Geiger to get the latest, most up-to-date soccer intel around, plus fun facts and awesome trivia. Out just in time for the World Cup!

Absolute Expert: Dolphins

by Jennifer Swanson

Published May, 2018

National Geographic

112 Pages

Goodreads Summary

Kids who have a laser focus on dolphins will learn everything they've ever wanted to know about them in an eye-catching, page-turning book for aspiring experts, featuring exclusive content from a National Geographic explorer currently in the field.
Hey, dolphin fin-atics! Get ready to dive into the world of your favorite fabulous marine mammals in this action-packed book chock-full of awesome facts, photos, and fun! Join National Geographic explorer and dolphin expert Justine Jackson-Ricketts to get the latest, most up-to-date dolphin intel straight from the field, plus fun facts, in-depth info, and awesome trivia about every kind of dolphin under the sun (and beneath the waves). It's the ultimate book to help YOU become an absolute expert on one of your favorite topics.

Absolute Expert: Dinosaurs

by Lela Nargi

Expected Publication August 21, 2018

National Geographic

112 Pages

Goodreads Summary

Tear through tons of facts, figures, timelines, and the most up-to-date intel straight from the field, with National Geographic explorer and paleontologist Steve Brusatte as your expert guide, in this cool book all about dinosaurs.
Have you met Pinocchio rex? Meet this fascinating dino along with favorites, such as Tyrannosaurus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Velociraptor, Apatosaurus, Ankylosaurus, and Giganotosaurus. Plus, check out some weird or newly discovered dinos you may not know about. See how fossils are formed. Learn about the epic, earth-shaking extinctions that paved the way for life today. Find out whether dinosaurs really had feathers, and so much more! All this, along with special features, awesome illustrations, sidebars, wacky trivia, and facts from experts in the field, make this the ultimate book to help YOU become an absolute expert on one of your favorite subjects.

Absolute Expert: Volcanoes

by Lela Nargi

Expected Publication August 21, 2018

National Geographic

112 Pages

Goodreads Summary

Get expert insights from National Geographic explorer and volcanologist Arianna Soldati in this lava-hot book, exploding with the most up-to-date geological intel straight from the field.

Plunge deep beneath Earth's crust to find out how volcanoes form. Get up close to clouds of ash and molten lava. Learn about the biggest, most extreme volcanic eruptions to date. On the hunt for incredible volcanoes, you'll travel around the globe, dive into the depths of the oceans, journey into space...and so much more!
History's most famous volcanic eruptions are all included: Mount Vesuvus, Mauna Loa, Stromboli, Mount Etna, Olympus Mons, and more. With special features, sidebars, wacky trivia, and more, it's the ultimate book to help YOU become an absolute expert on one of your favorite subjects.

Young readers are sure to love these fact-filled volumes as they become "experts"!

A Perfect Summer Trip Book: National Geographic Kids Almanac 2019

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2019
Published May, 2018
by National Geographic Society
Nonfiction
Paperback
352 pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
The world's best-selling almanac for kids is back and in demand! This year's includes the latest information about what's new and newsy in our world, special dates to anticipate, and fresh topics, and much more.

Have fun keeping up with our quickly changing world with the New York Times best-selling almanac, curated and created just for kids. It's packed with incredible photos; tons of fun facts, crafts, and activities; and fascinating features about animals, science, nature, technology, and more. New features include an updated "Fun and Games" chapter filled with all-new games, jokes, and comics; all new weird-but-true facts; "19 Facts for 2019" feature in every chapter; updated reference material; and cool stuff on topics today's curious kids care about.

My Thoughts

As usual, this almanac is packed full of interesting information. It is organized into 11 sections like Your World 2019, Amazing Animals, Going Green, Wonders of Nature and Fun and Games. There is something for everyone. Information is presented in narratives, captions, stats, lists, charts and tables. Most sections have a quiz at the end so kids can test their knowledge. There are fun mazes, fill-ins, comics, jokes and puzzles as well. National Geographic has provided online resources such as downloads, games, and videos to accompany the almanac (I did not examine these resources). Of course, with over 500 pictures, this almanac is a visual feast for the eyes! 
I can see this book going on car trips and kids spouting off facts they learn or a funny joke they find. I would recommend this book for ages 8+. 

Animal Ark: Celebrating Our World in Poetry and Pictures by Kwame Alexander and Joel Sartore

Animal Ark: Celebrating Our World in Poetry and Pictures 
Words by Kwame Alexander 
Photographs by Joel Sartore
Published Feb. 2017
National Geographic
48 Pages
Poetry
Review copy was provided by the publisher.

Goodreads Summary

A howling wolf, a stalking tiger, a playful panda, a dancing bird - pairing the stunning photography of National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore with the delicate poetry of Newbery award-winning author Kwame Alexander, this lush picture book celebrates the beauty, diversity, and fragility of the animal world.

Featuring more than 40 unique animal portraits, the pages invite kids to explore each creature's markings, textures, and attributes in stunning detail, while calling on all of us to help protect each and every one. Three picture-packed gatefolds inside showcase even more familiar and exotic species. These images are part of Sartore's lifelong project to photograph every animal in the world, with special attention given to disappearing and endangered species.

My Thoughts

This book is breathtaking in its simplicity. Who needs frills when you have gorgeous photographs of animals on stark backgrounds with the poetry magic of Kwame Alexander? I swear, ONLY Kwame Alexander can write a short poem about centipedes, bats, beetles and sea urchins and make them sound like the most exquisite creatures in the world. What a wonderful way to introduce little ones to the beauty of poetry. 

National Geographic photographer, Joel Sartore's photographs are so clear and close, you can see every little leg, whisker, scale and feather. Somehow he even manages to make an alligator and a chameleon look majestic. I think my favorite photo is the baby pandas with one resting its head on the other, but really each photo is better than the next. 

Animal Ark is a must-have for any library. I love it so much and can't wait to share it with kids. I can see them hunched over as they examine the photos of these fascinating animals more closely. 

This video of Kwame talking about animals will give you goosebumps. I could listen to him all day long. 

Animal Planet Animal Atlas

Animal Planet Animal Atlas 

Published by Animal Planet

May 2016

Nonfiction-Reference Book

96 pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

Animal Planet's definitive atlas of animal life takes readers on a continent-by-continent and habitat-by-habitat passport to adventure!

What is a habitat? How is the North Pole's animal life different from the South Pole's? How and why do animals adapt to their environment? Is a food web different from a food chain? Animal Planet Animal Atlas answers all of these questions and many more. Through detailed maps, fun infographics, simple charts, and Find It! Fact boxes readers can track their favorite animals across the globe, learning about how animal habitats are affected by climate, food and water availability, migration, and human environmental impact.

My Thoughts

This book is big and beautiful! Information about hundreds of animals is presented in this oversized volume. Organized by continent sections and sub categorized into biomes within the continent, it helps young readers see where animals live on the planet and within what kind of habitat. Biome maps of the continent at the beginning of each section help readers to see that a single continent can have many biomes. 

Image of pages 24-25 copyright National geographic 2016

Many reference books are not easily accessible to younger children. With larger print, simplistic fonts and big, colorful pictures, this is an atlas that young readers will love. There are many different text features used such as maps, a table of contents, a glossary and an index. Information is presented in colored text boxes with just a few sentences about each animal. Cute little cartoon animals also pop up here and there with talk bubbles containing extra information. 

I am excited to share Animal Planet's Animal Atlas with my students. I would recommend it for grades 2-5. 

See what others have to say about this book:

Reader Kidz

Unleashing Readers

New Books From National Geographic

National Geographic Kids has some amazing and informative books. I'd like to share three new 2016 titles that are sure to be a hit with kids of all ages. 

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2017

Published May 2016

National Geographic Children's Books

352 Pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

This New York Times bestseller is packed with incredible photos, tons of fun facts, crafts, activities, and fascinating features about animals, science, nature, technology, and more. New features include highlights on National Geographic Explorers and their amazing projects (plus, ways you can get involved!); a tour of history's most famous sites; an updated "Fun and Games" chapter filled with

all-new games, jokes, and comics; an exclusive sneak peek from a National Geographic Kids Chapters book; all new weird-but-true facts, crafts, and activities; a new special "17 Facts for 2017" feature in every chapter; updated reference material, and much more.

My Thoughts

Wow! This book is jam packed with information! From history, geography, science and culture-this book has it all. I can see kids poring over it and telling all their friends about the interesting facts they are learning. Great for anyone who loves facts and trivia. 

Of course, it is filled with amazing images from National Geographic! I would recommend this almanac for grades 3+

100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up

by Lisa M. Gerry

Published May 2016

National Geographic Children's Books

256 Pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

It's fun to be a kid, but are you ready for what comes next? Challenge yourself with these 100 things and you will be! Jam-packed with tips, tricks, and skills that every kid should master before turning 18, this is the ultimate guide to becoming a fun-loving, well-rounded, totally competent and confident young person. Complete with expert advice from real life explorers, adventurers, and masters of their craft, it's perfect for jump-starting an amazing life!

My Thoughts

First of all, many adults could benefit from reading this book. From reading it, I learned how to make snow ice cream and how to press flowers. The book is organized by skills, knowledge and attitudes. I love how kids can learn practical things such as how to wrap a present or load the dishwasher. But it also presents tips on how to resolve conflict and how to recover from embarrassment. Each of the tips is short and accompanied by a photo or other graphics. I may read one tip each day to my 4th graders until the 100th day. 

I would recommend it for grades 3+.

Awesome 8: 50 Picture-Packed Top 8 Lists!

Published May 2016

National Geographic Children's Books

112 Pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

Curious kids who want to know the who/what/where of the coolest things on the planet will welcome this first book in an awesome new National Geographic Kids series. Every turn of the page presents a different theme and counts down the greatest of the great top 8 of its kind. For example: The Awesome 8 Coolest Coasters, Haughtiest Hotels, Wicked Water Slides, Perilous Predators, Remarkable Ruins, Weirdest Wonders, Swankiest Subways, and anything else you can imagine. It's truly something you have to see to believe--which is why the entire list appears in photographs, layered with fun facts and insightful stories.

My Thoughts

With lists such as "Dream Homes", "Fearless Foods, and "Ultimate Toilets" what kid wouldn't like this book? This book is very clever and is full of fascinating facts. Did you know that there is a lake in Australia that is pink because of the algae? And there is a hotel in France where you can stay in a clear plastic bubble to enjoy the natural environment. I can't wait to share Awesome 8 with my students. I would recommend it for grades 3+.