Botanicum: Welcome to the Museum

Reference picture book, 112 pages. A museum of plants in book form - beautiful, exotic and weird plants sorted into galleries. The book was produced in consultation with experts from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published in 2017 by Candlewick Press.

Katie Scott & Kathy Willis, Curators

Willis is the director of science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Professor of Biodiversity at the University of Oxford. She is the author of multiple plant books, but Botanicum is the only one written specifically for young people.

Scott illustrates children's books in a style heavily influenced by traditional medical and botanical illustrations - and the details are stunning.

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Book Brief

Laid out with galleries - instead of chapters - the book offers a beautiful view of the kingdom of plants. Beginning with the first plants such as algae and bryophytes and ending with plants which adapt to the environment like carnivorous plants and a mangrove forest, the plates and text are fascinating for anyone who wants to learn about the evolution and diversity of plants.

Each two-page spread focuses on just one type of plant and includes a description, a plate of multiple examples and a key to the plate.

Learning Ideas

Family Read Aloud Time
I can imagine sharing this book with Little Guy or Noodle simply by leaving it on the counter for a moment of curiosity. Definitely not a "story," but a book the family will return to over and over as children grow.

Learning at Home
The potential to use this book for a year-long study based on the Tree of Life illustration in the introduction is tremendous! Whether you prefer hands-on/real-life activities or a more literature based-approach to your home learning, Botanicum is versatile enough for either type of unit study about plants.

Classroom Options
A must classroom reference book for primary and upper elementary science study.

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