• Age: 3 to 6
• Grade: p to 1

Nature leaps off the pages of this magnificent large-format collection, which pairs the award-winning titles The Wildlife ABC and The Wildlife 123. Engaging and enriching, this collection communicates a world of valuable information about wildlife and the natural environment almost wordlessly. Lush and highly detailed illustrations paired with delightful text will keep readers absorbed. Through innovative design, Jan Thornhill has created an interactive learning environment. Young readers can count the animals hiding in the intricate illustrations — are there really 1,000 tadpoles? (Yes, there are.) The Wildlife ABC & 123 features both exotic and familiar animals from around the globe. Some are endangered species, such as the Asian tiger, and some are animals from our own backyard, like the ant. Special “Nature Notes” at the end of the book provide additional information on each of the featured animals and their environments.

Jan Thornhill is an author, illustrator and designer who brings her fascination with the natural world to her books for children. They include I Found a Dead Bird (National Parenting Publications Gold Award, Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction, Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award); The Wildlife 123 (UNICEF-Ezra Jack Keats International Award for Excellence in Children’s Book Illustration, Governor General’s Award finalist); and The Wildlife ABC (Governor General’s Award finalist). Jan recently won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People. She spends her spare time in the woods obsessively collecting and cataloguing wild mushrooms and slime molds.

Jan Thornhill's profile page

• Commended, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Our Choice Selection
• Commended, Resource Links, Best of the Year
• Winner, UNICEF, Ezra Jack Keats Award
• Short-listed, Governor General's Award, Children's Illustration Category

***** (of 5)

New Brunswick Telegraph Journal

It’s like taking a safari ride…

Kaboose Network

The combination of these two books has resulted in an early-learning primer of uncommon beauty.

The Globe and Mail

Maple Tree Press combines two top titles in one…written and illustrated in remarkably lush style by Jan Thornhill.

Quill & Quire

…two outstanding books…in one volume. Amusing handsome paintings accompany simple verses.

Fifty-Five Plus

This combination book is enjoyable on so many levels… The exceptional artwork in this collection far surpasses the standard ABC or counting books.

CM Magazine: Canadian Review of Materials

It is a pleasure to see these fine books back in print to enchant another generation of children.

Deakin Newsletter

…a powerful invitation for children to learn more about animals, as well as practice the languages of letters and numbers.

Resource Links

Her flamboyant drawings have the bold vibrancy of woodcuts.

Publishers Weekly

Sumptuous -- The Wildlife ABC is a glorious spectacle...

The Montreal Gazette