The Ladybird Big Book of Dead Things; Ned Hartley, illustrated by Binny Talib

Over millions of years many things have lived and died on planet Earth. People, places, animals and celestial bodies have all come and gone. Death is an inescapable part of life and this fun and fact-filled book is a fantastic tour through a museum that is full of dead things.

Guided by a team of experts - Doctor Stella Cluster, stars and planets; Doctor Barack O’Llama, ancient civilisations; Doctor Eddie Dawdle, dinosaurs, and Doctor Daria Raven, dead things - readers join the Fox family on their visit to the museum. On the journey through the museum, we get to learn about dinosaurs, fossils, Egyptians, Mayans and we get to venture into space to learn about all the dead things that can be found there, there’s even a stop on Mars. We also learn about the uses for dead things - coal and chalk, and there is a sombre section on the animals that have left the planet in recent times.

It is great to tag along with the Fox family as they ask lots of questions that readers would ask and so it feels like a proper interactive museum experience. The large format book is packed with colourful illustrations and fact boxes and pages are broken up into large boxes and comic style panels.

Things may be dead but they are definitely not forgotten in what is an absolute delight of a read! The whole book is a fact-filled treat that will provide endless amounts of pleasure and readers of all ages will have great fun exploring the pages.

Recommended for 6+.