by Lia Leendertz
SYNOPSIS
Reconnect with the seasons in Britain and Ireland with this month-by-month guide to the world around us - including tide tables, sunrises and moon phases; garden feasts, wildlife and folklore; seasonal recipes, snacks and more.
The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2024 gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark and appreciate each month of the year in your own particular way.
Divided into the 12 months, a set of tables each month gives it the feel and weight of a traditional almanac, providing practical information that gives access to the outdoors and the seasons, perfect for expeditions, meteor-spotting nights and beach holidays.
This year's edition focuses on the natural wonders of the garden, celebrating the beautiful flora and fauna at your doorstep. There are also features on each month's unique nature, plus a flower and a snack of the month.
You will find yourself referring to The Almanac all year long, revisiting it again and again, and looking forward to the next edition as the year draws to a close.
REVIEW
I was never really an 'outdoorsy' person until I had my two daughters. I was brought up in a flat in a city so I used to read rather than play outside. Now, everything is different. My oldest daughter has always had a real interest in the moon, she wants to look out for it every night and researched all of the phases and names. My younger daughter loves ladybirds, butterflies and bees. Every single time we leave the house she collects a new rock or flower or leaf which she insists on bringing back home. This is where The Almanac will be perfect for our family!
Split into months, each of the 12 chapters contains a section on The Sky. It talks about the stars, all the information about daily sunrise and sunset times and also the phases of the moon throughout the month. This will be such a help next year to have all of the details to hand if my daughter asks questions that I'm not normally able to answer.
The monthly Garden Craft section will be particularly useful with my younger daughter. Each one has a fun craft activity which you can make using items that you can find in your garden or local park, as well as one or two craft items that we would usually have in the house already. With them still being quite young they both need a lot of entertaining so any new craft ideas are very much appreciated.
The thing that stands out to me the most with The Almanac is that it is such a gorgeous book. The design and illustrations are perfect and mean that as well as being informative, it would also make a fantastic Christmas gift for anyone who loves the natural world. I'm sure that by the end of next year my copy will be very well worn!
Thanks to Random Things Tours - @RandomTTours for the opportunity to read and review.
Publisher: Octopus Books
ISBN: 978-1856754644
Pages: 288pp
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