Above, Below and Long Ago - by Michael Bright (Hardcover)

About the Book

This nonfiction picture book for middle-grade readers takes a close look at animals and plants around the world that are in the air, hidden below ground or lived long ago. Illustrated with linocut prints.

Book Synopsis

Let's get closer to wildlife that is hard to see.

There are animals and plants in the skies, deep underwater, on clifftops, in caves, underground and from long, long ago that remain hidden from the world. In Above, Below and Long Ago, catch a rare glimpse of a snow leopard stalking its prey high in the mountains and a ghostly pale, eel-shaped olm that can live in underground caves for 10 years without eating. Dive deep into the earth to find out how a mysterious orchid only blooms underground or go back in time to meet the megalodon, one of the largest predators to ever live on Earth. Young readers will explore how these elusive plants and animals adapt to their sometimes extreme environments and how some left their mark in the fossil record.

Illustrated with linocut prints, this book highlights the textures and patterns of the natural world, up high, down low and long ago.

From the Back Cover

Plants and animals thrive in unique places. The yellow-rumped leaf-eared mouse lives at the top of a volcano in South America, where plants can't grow. In Western Australia, a type of orchid grows deep underground. And long ago, trilobites slithered along the seafloor in oceans around the world. Discover hard-to-find species and the unusual places they call home.

Review Quotes

"Introducing many unusual creatures, this book is an inviting choice for kids who enjoy BBC's esteemed documentaries on wildlife."

-- "Booklist"

"The selective nature of the topics and the appealing illustrations make this book unique, and one that will attract curious young readers who find science fascinating. Above, Below and Long Ago: Animals, Plants and Fossils in Hidden Places is a good starting point for them to further investigate concepts such as adaptation, migration, evolution and extinction. Highly Recommended."

-- "CM: Canadian Review of Materials"

"Emmerson portrays the plants and animals in lively, naturalistic poses against detailed or textured backgrounds ranging from deep seas and black caves to bright, steep mountain crags and crowded cityscapes. Stimulating ventures into some of the world's less accessible locales."

-- "Kirkus Reviews"

About the Author

Michael Bright has worked as an executive producer with the BBC's world-renowned Natural History Unit, based in Bristol, and with its Science Unit in London. He is author of over a hundred books on wildlife, science, travel and conservation, including many for children. His bestseller Africa: Eye to Eye with the Unknown was written to accompany the popular television series presented by Sir David Attenborough. He is the recipient of many international radio and television awards, including the prestigious Prix Italia. He is a graduate of the University of London and a corporate biologist and member of the Royal Society of Biology.

Jonathan Emmerson is an illustrator and printmaker. Growing up on Salisbury Plain near Stonehenge led to a lifelong fascination with nature, fossils and all things prehistoric. He studied fine art at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design and lives in St. Albans, making linocut prints inspired by the natural world.