Books published by publisher B. T. Batsford Ltd.

A practical companion to help kids enjoy outdoor activities and adventures even when it's rainy, snowy or windy.As the weather turns into autumn and the kids start watching more television and stare at the computer, how can you get them out and about to enjoy the cooler months? Outdoor enthusiasts Steph and Katie are teachers and mothers and have years of experience of finding new and novel ways to get kids to enjoy the great outdoors, whatever the weather.This great little tome is packed with ideas for games, activities and nature crafts that are perfectly suited to the autumnal and winter months of rain and wind. Activities range from puddle painting and making your own nature paint brushes, to making wind spinners from golden leaves and feathers. Why not try puddle pouncing or raindrop racing, or create a pool and spa for an elf? Or make a leafy woven kite, windmill or nature parachute for the windy weather?Nature offers loads of autumnal bits and bobs just waiting for a creative hand. And if you don't want to stay out for too long, the book lists things to collect outdoors for taking home and used for stay-at-home projects.The book encourages youngsters to see the excitement of wind, snow, rain and to enjoy the elements with fun projects that excite the imagination.

Is the Great Wall of China visible from the Moon? Are we descended from Neanderthals? Guess again—because what you think is true about science might not be right! There are some scientific “truths” we take for granted—but what if they’re wrong? For example, can anything travel faster than the speed of light? Strange as it seems, in certain circumstances, a winded tortoise might! Are there actually seven colors in a rainbow? Try again. Matt Brown merrily gives us the real story, explaining why our hair and nails don't keep growing after we die and why chemicals in our diet might not be the toxic threats we imagine. Along with an A–Z of pseudoscience, he brings us to the edge of physics, expounds on curious chemistry, and discusses space scandals, scientific misquotes, and body matters. Everything You Know About Science Is Wrong shatters a range of illusions we have accepted unquestioningly since childhood and demystifies this most puzzling of subjects.

A hugely enjoyable way for young children to learn about music. Following on from our successful Chess for Children, music teacher Becky Rumens-Syratt takes young children (aged 6 to 12) on a journey to understand the basics of music, and then specifically how to start to play some of the key instruments: piano, guitar, and recorder.With the help of Trudi Treble and Barry Bass, you can teach children the language of music, the clefs, the stave, the notes and rhythm, with great games along the way, such as making your own edible stave and notes with strawberry laces and smarties or M&Ms. It gives detailed advice such as how to hold a recorder properly for very young children to using a chocolatey finger to learn how to blow into the instrument.It features the same style of illustration as Chess for Children and the same fun elements to make teaching your child about music as enjoyable as it should be.

Matt Brown goes where no one has gone before to bring us an entertaining compendium of amazing facts about our planet, the universe, and everything in between! Think that the vacuum of space would make your blood boil and your head explode? (It won’t.) Or that astronauts float in space because of zero gravity? (No—they’re not floating, they’re falling.) Thanks to sci-fi films and TV shows, most of us have many misconceptions about the cosmos—from traveling through wormholes to blowing up asteroids. Chock-full of facts about the universe and how it works, this illuminating book guides you through the mine of misinformation to answer such questions as whether we will meet aliens in our lifetime (SETI predicts we'll find evidence of ET by 2040!), what happens in the center of the black hole, and why Mercury is not the hottest planet in the solar system.

Nigel Rees presents a nostalgic and witty guide to wartime catchphrases, from the now ubiquitous 'Keep Calm and Carry On' to lesser-known gems such as 'lions led by donkeys'. Following his hugely popular survey of domestic sayings, More Tea Vicar?, Rees returns with a witty and fascinating examination of the catchphrases that saw us through wartime Britain and are still relevant in times of crisis today. Including domestic phrases of the time, propaganda, and slang developed by soldiers abroad, the book describes the provenance and development of these intriguing, quirky and sometimes crude phrases that were born out of times of conflict and have in many cases become part of our language.

Turn off the TV, shut the computer, put down the electronic games: it's time to go outside! Filled with fun activities for every season, this is the ideal outdoors companion for kids. Armed with this book, children can head to the park or countryside where they'll find out about nature, learn woodland skills, enjoy games for groups large and small, and discover flora and fauna. The cool things to do include: making “Enchanted Wings” from a flexible willow stick and embellishing it with feathers, leaves, and flowers; staging an "acorn Olympics"; and memorizing easy rhymes for recognizing oaks, rowans, and maple trees.

Keep calm and color on with this beautiful collection of 80 flower patterns! Coloring is a terrific tool for staying relaxed, present, and mindful in a hectic world. These stunningly hand-drawn illustrations of flowers and plants are just waiting for artists to pick up their pens, pencils, felt tips, or paints and fill them in. The world's flora is at your fingertips as you decide how to bring nature to life.