Matt Sewell

Humans have always had a natural desire to collect and group things together. It works well for domesticated animals, where people are used to talking about a herd of cows, or a flock of sheep. But how do you collate wild animals and birds? Should they all be flocks and herds? Thankfully human imagination has gone to work on this and come up with a whole host of rich and interesting names for all species of animals.

Matt Sewell has collected together all the collective nouns for all manner of animals who inhabit land, sea and air. As well as the titled, A Charm of Goldfinches and the well-known Murder of Crows he introduces to us the less common quarrel of sparrows, a quiver of cobras, a harem of seals and deceit of lapwings. Alongside each collective noun is a delightful watercolour of the animals and a little explanation of the origins of the noun.

I really liked this enchanting little book with its colourful bold artwork and Sewell’s charming prose but if there was one minor flaw was it too brief.… (more)

Did you know that Argentinosaurus was as heavy as a herd of elephants? That Mosasaurus was three times the length of a great white shark? That Microraptor was the size of a pigeon but with four wings? This magnificent book imagines dinosaurs as they might well have been, based on recent findings— feathered, finned, and full of color. Gorgeous watercolors accompany surprising, little-known, and fun-to-tell facts about dinosaur behavior, habits, and appearance, bringing these prehistoric creatures to life in a new way. This fascinating book will delight dinosaur fans, young and old. (amazon)… (more)