Christmas Gift Guide 2017: Books

The Amazing Animal Atlas by Dr Nick Crumpton, illustrated by Gaia Bordicchia (Flying Eye Books, RRP £25). Lush exploration of global fauna.

A World of Cities by James Brown (Walker Studio, RRP £15). Pleasingly infographic guide to the greatest cities in the world.

Picture Atlas by Simon Holland, illustrated by Jill Calder (Bloomsbury, RRP £14.99). Quirkily illustrated, fact-packed tour of the continents.

Twinkle, Twinkle ABC by Barney Saltzberg (Phaidon, RRP £8.95). Sweet board book mash-up of the traditional song and the alphabet. 

Touch Think Learn: Wild Animals by Xavier Deneux (Chronicle, RRP £10.99). The latest in the colourful series of early-learning books.

A Tiny Little Story: Park by Lisa Jones (Nosy Crow, RRP £10.99). Super-cute little high-contrast cloth book for the littlest bookworms. 

Pop-up Shakespeare by Jennie Maizels (Walker, RRP £16). Entertaining introduction to Will's works in association with The Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Flying Colours: A Guide to Flags from Around the World by Robert G. Fresson (Cicada, RRP £14.95). Great look at vexillology (nope, I didn't know it was called that either!)

Three Cheers for Women by Marcia Williams (Walker, RRP £12.99). Just because, let's face it, there are a LOT of amazing women throughout history to learn about.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Illustrated Edition by JK Rowling (Bloomsbury, RRP £25). Lavishly illustrated new edition of the Potterheads' favourite.

Book of Bones: 10 Record-Breaking Animals by Gabrielle Balkan (Phaidon, RRP £16.95). Full of fantastic animal facts for budding Attenboroughs.

Magnificent Birds, illustrated by Narisa Togo (Walker Studio/RSPB, RRP £15). Amateur ornithologists will adore this gorgeous book.

Look for Ladybird in Plant City by Katherina Manolessou (Frances Lincoln, RRP £12.99). Spot the spotty insect in leafy locations.

One Hundred Things to Spot by Naomi Wilkinson (Wide Eyed Editions, RRP £12.99). Fun search and find challenges for preschoolers. 

Dinosaur Detective's Rescue Mission by Sophie Guerrive (Wide Eyed Editions, RRP £10.99). Detailed cartoon-style search and find.

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo (Penguin, RRP £20). A must-have - we've bought this as a gift many times.

Andersen (Little Gestalten, RRP £19.95). Classic Hans Christian fairy tales like The Snow Queen and The Red Shoes paired with contemporary illustrations.

Greatest Magical Stories, chosen by Michael Morpugo (Oxford University Press, RRP £14.99). Super collection of enchanting tales.

The Big Book of Treasures by Raphael Honigstein (Little Gestalten, RRP £19.95). Amazing facts and finds for amateur archaeologists.

My Collection of Collections by Nina Chakrabarti (Laurence King, RRP £12.99). All about collections, including space to add details your own.

Hidden Museum: A Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun Parr (Cicada, RRP £9.95). Eclectic collection - use the magnifying glass to uncover exhibits.

My Illustrated Encyclopedia by Alain Gree (Button Books, RRP £14.99). Comprehensive and colourful fact book for younger children.

50 Wacky Things Humans Do by Joe Rhatigan (Quarto, RRP £9.99). Packed with weird and wonderful facts about the human body.

Facts! by Tracey Turner (Bloomsbury, RRP £12.99). Contains a snippet of interesting information for every day of the year.

Main Street Magic by Ingela P. Arrhenius (Chronicle, RRP £11.99). Lift the flaps to discover the fabulous shops and characters of Main Street. 

Say Zoop! by Herve Tullet (Chronicle, RRP £10.99). Another classic call-to-action book from Tullet along the lines of Press Here.