Oh yes indeed we do love a good atlas with a twist or two to mark it out from the norm.

Once again we're in the realsm of myths and legends, this time looking at a mythical creature whose fishy tail has been seen waving above the briny deep for millennia across the world.

"Mermaid Atlas" by Anna Claybourne and Miren Asiain Lora is a very special book indeed, taking us on a tour right around the globe looking at the various ways different countries and cultures have woven their own mermaid legends, with many different names and mystical powers brought to life through the oral storytelling traditions of sailors and seafolk.

The minute you see this book you just cannot wait to dive in. It's beautifully produced but the real lure for us was finding out about all those different types of mermaids, some of which were familiar and some of which were entirely new.

Let's take a look inside this truly gorgeous book!

The legend of Nommo, spacegoing mermaid! How cool is that!

This is just so lovely, and it covers a subject that kids will be familiar with in a really cool way, showing how different cultures have so much in common, particularly when it comes to supernatural mythical creatures.

Instantly enchanting!

Once again, like all the fantastic books that find their way into our Book of the Week slot, it's a fantastic place for children to start learning about something new, serving as the perfect jumping-in point to cover the subject of mythical creatures in more depth.


Sum this book up in a sentence: A truly mesmerising and gorgeous book taking us on a tour of the world's mermaid legends and so beautifully presented you'll almost want to stick it in a frame and put it on the wall.

"Mermaid Atlas" by Anna Claybourne and Miren Asiain Lora is out now, published by Laurence King Publishing (kindly supplied for review). 

Wow! This is a distinctly different "Book of the Week" winner..never judge a book by its cover!

How could we resist a book that actually has "Awesome" in the title. We can't and this really is awesome too...!

Forget Wally, have fun finding the illustrious Bard hidden amongst scenes from his most popular plays. An awesome historical and fun book, here's "Where's Will?"

"See Inside Your Head" by Alex Frith and Colin King (Usborne Publishing)

It's British Science Week, and from today until the 22nd March we're all abuzz with all things science-ey. Of course, as book bloggers we couldn't wait to check out some of the fantastic science titles for children that are currently available including a trio of fantastic books from our go-to publisher of choice for fact-packed fun ways to learn, Usborne Publishing.

Our first title particularly interested Charlotte as she loves lift-the-flap books - but the subject of this particular book is very close to home for us. Charlotte's mum has broad spectrum Epilepsy, so a book that delves deep into the way our brain works really can help answer a multitude of questions Charlotte has about the various things poor mum has to go through.

With over 70 flaps to lift, you can really peel back the layers of the brain and find out what it's made of, why it works the way it does, and what can happen when things go wrong. The book touches on the physiology of the brain, and psychological matters affecting the way we behave and perceive our world.

It's an utterly incredible book, fantastically illustrated (as you'd expect from Usborne) and with quite a broad appeal to a wide age range, a book that will be a valuable resource for your budding biologists to dip into.

The Story of Science by Anna Claybourne and Adam Larkum (Usborne Publishing)

Broadening our range a little next, we take a dip into "The Story of Science" by Anna Claybourne and Adam Larkum.

Mix history and science together in this fascinating look back at some of the groundbreaking discoveries made over the last few centuries, as you and your children learn how the world's most famous scientists theorised, experimented and discovered the secrets of our world and the universe beyond.

Tinged with humour, and crazy anecdotes, this is nevertheless a fact-filled book chock full of detail and will undoubtedly give your child plenty to investigate and enjoy. Like the rest of Usborne's non-fiction range, it's expertly presented and pitched at just the right level for children of Charlotte's age who are just beginning to touch on science subjects at KS-1 / 2, and beyond.

Last but by no means least for our look at Usborne's fantastic science range, let's head out into space (our favourite science subject!)

The Story of Astronomy and Space by Louie Stowell and Peter Allen (Usborne Publishing)

Superstar book peeps Louie Stowell and Peter Allen have pulled out all the stops for this next title, reaching out into the cosmos for "The Story of Astronomy and Space" - a book that was snatched out of my hands with a "Whoop!" by Charlotte before I could even get a look in (don't worry, I sneaked off with it and curled up for a good long read once she'd gone to bed - one of the perks of being a booky parent!)

With the clear skies we've been getting lately, and our recent trip to the Greenwich Observatory and Planetarium still fresh in our minds, it was great to read through this book, identifying some of the things we'd recently seen.

Astronomy charts help you and your children map the night skies, and if you're lucky enough to live somewhere where the light pollution isn't too bad, you can get a lot out of staring up at the night sky.

A fantastic book, you can tell Louie and Peter have a lot of passion for the subject at hand - and it's passed on perfectly in this wonderfully presented and beautifully illustrated addition to Usborne's superb science range.

We'll be catching up with more Science books as British Science Week continues - so stay tuned!