Couched in the guise of a "night at the museum" or a "let's visit the museum" you are introduced to the plants as though you were on a tour of a lovely plant museum. It’s pretty obvious, from the endpapers to the chapter headings, that the makers of this book know a thing or two about visual design. Visually stunning, it’s an engrossing overview of Earth’s remarkable and diverse plant life that provides opportunities for ongoing discovery on every page. The lay out is not so crowded that the reader is overwhelmed and is just right so that the fine details can be readily absorbed.

Botanicum - Big Active Botanicum - Big Active

You know how in some middle grade, usually fantasy stories there might be a scene where some kids stumble across a dusty old book in a forgotten or forbidden library?Kathy Willis's illustrations are eye-popping and wonderfully huge in this oversize book -- I especially love the double-page "Tree of Life" spread. A beautifully constructed compendium of plant life from around the world that offers up a visual and informational treat for future botanists and casual browsers alike…The large format, sumptuous artwork, and thoughtful writing put this one a cut above the rest and make this a must-have for any library that can house it. Containing everything from perennials to bulbs to tropical exotica, this wonderful feast of botanical knowledge is complete with superb cross sections to show how plants work. Each page spread is devoted to a small amount of pertinent information about the plant type in question, accompanied by a page of beautifully illustrated examples of the plant type.

Botanicum by Kathy Willis: 9780763689230 | PenguinRandomHouse

I get that this is probably a book with a specific, and possibly quite narrow, audience, but do yourself a favour and try and get your hands on a copy of Botanicum, if only to appreciate the beauty of the design. Muzeum Zwierząt", które z resztą już sobie zamówiłam, w związku ze zbliżającą się datą mych urodzin. Willis is Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where she spearheaded the launch of Kew's Science Strategy 2015-2020. Everything about this book is visually appealing – the fonts, the colours, the layout – hell, even a cross-section of a breadfruit made Mad Martha want to pull out her crochet hooks and start recreating it in yarn.Her work plays with the ideas of scientific uncertainty and speculation, fabricating the inner and outer workings of the world.

Botanicum (Welcome To The Museum) - Kindle edition by Willis Botanicum (Welcome To The Museum) - Kindle edition by Willis

Kā arī par kādu augu daudz botāniskas un interesantas informācijas un tad par nākamo - "augs ir zaļš" 😉 Bet kopumā ļoti forši. It is a book jam-packed with such a plethora of information about plants from the tiniest to the largest, from above ground to those tucked away underneath rocks or soil. Complete with an index and sources for suggested reading, this dazzling display is ideal for classroom and coffee-table collections, budding botanists and curious kids, and everywhere—and everyone—in between. And because it is written for younger readers, the science of plants is explained simply and powerfully. Had it for a while and it's one of those books I bought in a set when I bought the author's other books.

Kathy is also Professor of Biodiversity in the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford and an adjunct Professor in Biology at the University of Bergen.