Chopsy Baby is reviewing… The AA Spotter Guides
Trees and Shrubs by James Hall
Grassland and Farmland Wildflowers by Andrew Cleave
Butterflies and Moths by Andrew Cleave
Town and Country Birds by Andy Clements
Few months pass by without more research finding that children and sometimes adults cannot tell the difference between a sparrow and an oak tree. That children these days are 70 per cent more likely to prefer to play a games console rather than look at a woodlouse. And adults cannot name more than two species of bird, including a chicken and turkey.
To help out the wildlife and country challenged, the AA have produced a series of excellent Spotter Guides to help families spot and work out exactly what they are spotting.
The first four titles in the AA Spotter Guide series are: Town and Country Birds, Butterflies and Moths, Trees and Shrubs and Grassland and Farmland Wild Flowers.
Usefully, the books are pocket size, light-weight, but with comprehensive content.
Each book contains good quality photography, illustrations and key information including what to look for and where to find each species. There is even a Spotters Chart where readers can note their findings.
Reviewed by…
Chopsy Baby’s Jen Smith
Conkers, helicopters and pussy willow are some of the features of trees that children simply love. But which tree is which? And when do conkers come out? These are some of the questions that adults can struggle to answer.
This kind of information that we learned when we were children ourselves was replaced in our memory banks in favour of retaining – when do the direct debits come out the bank account? And which day is non-uniform day?
So thank goodness for Trees and Shrubs by James Hall, which guides parents around parks, helping them spot the trees and continue the knowledge with their own children.
I have taken the set of books out for the day. to take the painful edge off of a park visit. We are trying to indulge in something more interesting than swings, ducks and avoiding the never ending series of angry status dogs.
The four books together in a bag are really no weight at all. But, they are strong enough to be rip safe. For both cold, gloveless hands and small sticky fingers, they are easy to hold and flip through without dropping in dog poo or cow pats.
“What bird is that?” I am asked this question in reference to one of those generic big black birds that shout at each other. Is it a crow, a raven, a jackdaw or a rook? Take your best guess or consult the rather marvellous Town and Country Birds by Andy Clemments.
I feel vindicated from foolishness when finding this book calls all of them a type of crow.
From the really clear photographs in the book, for the first time, city dwellers protecting their picnics can see the birds are all different and it’s not hard to distinguish the shouting example in front of us as your classic crow, the Carrion Crow.
Sitting in a grassy area – this will be better fun in the summer – looking at the ‘easy’ flowers you already know such as dandelions and daisies, you can help your little ones learn to spot and recognise flowers.
Grassland and Farmland Wild Flowers by Andrew Cleave is a great way for children to read up on the natural world around them without having to use Google.
It’s mainly early days to go spotting for Butterflies and Moths, with most not prevalent until around May.
Each book contains a photograph, identifying features and key facts about every subject and where in the UK you will find them.
This is an essential series of books well worth carting around through the summer. Great for boring car journeys.
Tip – Get the kids to read the books on a particularly boring journey and choose three examples to spot. Buy them an ice cream if they spot them.
Tip – A more interesting read in the waiting room of the NHS Walk-in Centre than a six-month old copy of Bunion Today.
Tip – When the plant or animal wildlife project comes home from school, use the books before Google.
Best of all…
It’s a proper book – not the internet.
The size of the books are perfect to fit in small bags or pockets.
Ideal for the summer months to take the tedium off yet another park visit.
This is a great one-on-one activity to do with your child. They will benefit from learning about the natural world and parents will be able to look at things through the fresh enthusiasm of a child. The only thing missing is a Werther’s Original.
Could improve…
Nothing
Basically…
Both comprehensive and basic, the AA Spotter Guides are family friendly nature guides perfect for all ages.
You can buy from…
£5.99 each