Writing about science for kids is a great challenge – how do you put across complex ideas in simple language while firing their imaginations? Here are a few of the books I’ve enjoyed writing most…
DK Find Out! Universe
I recently wrote this cosmic entry for Dorling Kindersley’s dynamic and award-winning series of reference books for younger readers.
Children’s Encyclopedias of Space and Science
In 2017 I wrote this pair of introductory science encyclopaedias for kids aged 8 and up, published in the US by Arcturus.
Discover More: Night Sky
Back in 2012, I worked with former DK colleagues to put together this astronomy entry in Scholastic’s innovative and colourful Discover Moreguided reading series.
The Traveller’s Guide to the Solar System
This “Collins Big Cat” junior version of the interplanetary tour guide I originally created with Tim Brown for Harper Collins has long outlasted the original, and seems to show no sign of slowing down!
Voyage Across the Cosmos
Following the success of our huge Cosmosbook for adults, Quercus were keen to follow-up with something on almost as big a scale, but with a more approachable angle for kids. The result was Voyage Across the Cosmos, a book that fuses stunning space photography with an immersive design and engaging text to take readers on a cosmic tour from Earth orbit to the edge of the Universe.
Field Guide to Fantastic Creatures
Something a little out of the ordinary! I’ve always been fascinated by forteana, the unexplained and cryptozoology in particular, so the opportunity to put together this illustrated encyclopaedia of mythical monsters and mystery beasts was too good to refuse! Tim Brown and I had a whale of a time creating hybrid 2D/3D artworks, while Quercus’s immersive design helped put readers right on the trail of these unknown animals…
Cosmic!
Another unusual and enjoyable project ordinary was this space-based pop-up book for Dorling Kindersley. Working with ace paper engineer Richard Ferguson, it was terrific fun as we pushed the limits of pop-up design to create 3D tableaus such as the solar system, the Big Bang and an Apollo moon landing…
The Way the Universe Works
Co-written with Robin Kerrod, this Dorling Kindersley project fused descriptions of everything from planetary rings to galaxies with practical, kid-friendly experiments. Thinking up Earth-based analogies to explain for the wonders of the cosmos was great fun and I still look back fondly at this one…