Books by Isabel Thomas

Self-Destructing Science: Space

by Isabel Thomas

Warning: this book will self-destruct! Packed full of fun and exciting science-based projects which use its pages in different ways, this book will have you tearing, folding, cutting, experimenting, and scribbling as you find out all about the wonders of outer space.

As each page is destroyed, you'll make everything from a Martian bug to a pocket rocket, using nothing more than the pages of the book and a few simple household items. The easy-to-follow instructions and amazing illustrations make science and learning more fun than ever!

What On Earth?: Water: Explore, create and investigate

by Isabel Thomas

Learn all about the water cycle and find out how water shapes our planet. Make a precipitation gauge or grow your own stalactite. Find out how important it is to conserve water and harness its energy.
This series takes a cross-disciplinary approach to science, exploring natural elements in our world through stories, culture, history and art - as well as the science behind each topic. Explore, Create and Investigate through experiments, activities and hands-on tasks. What on Earth? takes the reader on a journey of discovery to explore the natural elements of our world.

What On Earth?: Wind: Explore, create and investigate

by Isabel Thomas

Wind is an important part of our planet. What on earth is it all about?

Explore...how humans have harnessed the wind’s energy to travel the world.

Create...your own windy poems and make a wind chime.

Investigate...wind speed and make your own anemometer.

This beautiful book is full of things to make and do as well as find out, takes you on a journey of discovery to explore the natural elements of our world.

Little Guides to Great Lives: Anne Frank

by Isabel Thomas

Anne Frank was an ordinary girl living in extraordinary times. Forced to go into hiding to escape the Nazis' persecution of Jews in World War II, Anne kept a diary that would become one of the most famous books in the world.

Meet one of history's most inspiring figures in this beautifully-illustrated guide to her amazing life.

From artists to aviators and scientists to revolutionaries, Little Guides to Great Lives is a brand new series of small-format guides introducing children to the most inspirational figures from history in a fun, accessible way.

Space Racers: Make Your Own Paper Rockets

by Isabel Thomas

Space Racers contains everything you need to press out and make your own paper rocket models. From the rocket that made the first manned space flight, Vostok-K, to the future of space travel, the Skylon space plane.

Use the easy to use, step-by-step instructions to build eight historically accurate rockets and two imaginary rockets, which are left blank for your own designs. A separate booklet introduces you to the exhilarating world of rocket science and space exploration, and includes fun and detailed fact files for each rocket.

This is an exciting kit for space enthusiasts aged eight to adult.

Terrific Timelines: Dinosaurs: Press out, put together, & display!

by Richard Ferguson, Isabel Thomas, Aude Van Ryn

Learn all about dinosaurs with this beautiful and unique display timeline.

Featuring 20 of the top dinosaurs from all three prehistoric eras (Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous), each dinosaur has its own factfile and press-out model to add to your ultimate dino display.

Beautifully illustrated by Aude van Ryn, this ingenious and eye-catching timeline slots together easily to brighten up any shelf, mantelpiece or school display.

Exploring the Elements: A Complete Guide to the Periodic Table

by Isabel Thomas

A New York Times 2020 Best Book of the Year
A Wall Street Journal 2020 Gift Guide Selection
This artful and accessible guide to the periodic table - the ultimate reference tool for scientists worldwide - names all 118 chemical elements and helps young readers understand the remarkable ways we have learned to use them.
Graphically stunning layouts feature each element's letter symbol and atomic number, exploring its attributes, characteristics, uses, and interesting stories behind its discovery. Complete with a comprehensive introduction, conclusion, and glossary, this is the perfect introduction to chemistry for inquisitive minds.
Wrapped in a double-sided jacket, with the illustrated periodic table printed on the underside, Exploring the Elements is jam-packed with 240 pages of information, including:
A comprehensive introduction explaining what elements are and the design and purpose of the periodic table
Each of the 118 elements is visually presented with its respective letter symbol and atomic number, as well as a map of where it’s located in the periodic table
Additional details showing where each element is found in the universe (from food on our plates to the center of a star), its unique properties, atomic diagram, secret chemistry, and working examples of how its’s used or changing the world
Plus an index, glossary and suggested reading and additional references and Resources
Both a gift book and a practical book, Exploring the Elements is for teachers and librarians, parents and grandparents, the home bookshelf and classroom bookshelf, science enthusiasts and budding scientists of all ages.

Little Guides to Great Lives: Ferdinand Magellan

by Isabel Thomas

Explorer, sailor, and navigator, Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to sail all the way around the world. He encountered lands and creatures that he could never have imagined, and the journey was fraught with danger and difficulty...

Join Magellan's amazing adventure in this colorful guide, encountering mutineers and monsters along the way!

From artists to aviators and scientists to revolutionaries, Little Guides to Great Lives is a brand new series of small-format guides introducing children to the most inspirational figures from history in a fun, accessible way.

Little Guides to Great Lives: Nelson Mandela

by Isabel Thomas

Anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist, Nelson Mandela's journey from political prisoner to president of South Africa is an incredible tale of triumph in the face of adversity. 2018 marks a hundred years since his birth.

From artists to aviators and scientists to revolutionaries, Little Guides to Great Lives is a brand new series of small-format guides introducing children to the most inspirational figures from history in a fun, accessible way. Launching with Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, Nelson Mandela, and Amelia Earhart, Little Guides to Great Lives tells the stories of the most amazing people from all over the world and across history, with full-color illustrations and fresh design to bring their incredible stories to life.

Wonder Women: A Go Fish Game

by Isabel Thomas

Team up Serena Williams with Mia Hamm, match Amelia Earhart with Sally Ride, join Malala Yousafzai with Emmeline Pankhurst.

Collect illustrated cards of 44 of the most inspirational women of all time and place them into groups including aviation, sports, activism, art, science, and fashion. See which of your friends knows the most about awesome women!

Based on Go Fish, this fun game will inspire girls (and boys) who already know that there's more to life than just being a princess!

Stephen Hawking: (Scientist Biography, Biography Book for Children)

by Isabel Thomas

Little Guides to Great Lives: Stephen Hawking is a biography of the famous scientist for children that blends an informative and humorous narrative with playful illustrations to immerse children in Hawking's world.

Stephen Hawking was one of the world's most renowned scientists and cosmologists. His ground–breaking research into black holes and the Big Bang has helped to explain the beginnings of our universe and his book A Brief History of Time has sold over 10 million copies. Diagnosed with a form of motor neurone disease when he was a young man, Stephen was inspired to achieve his goals as fast as possible. Through incredible determination and skill, he became a legendary scientist, a best–selling author, and the man that changed the way we think about the universe.

Stephen Hawking is part of the small format, collectible Little Guides to Great Lives series for children aged 7 and above. The back of the book features colorful illustrations, a timeline of Hawking's life and a glossary filled with scientific terms for further learning and education.

A perfect gift for fans of the Little People, Big Dreams books.

Praise for Little Guides to Great Lives:

"If you're looking to inspire your children to aim high and think big, the Little Guides to Great Lives series is the perfect place to start. The stories that the books convey tell kids that there is no limit to what they can aim for. These biographies will pique the interest of any young child who is already dreaming of their future." – GeekDad

"Featuring timelines, glossaries, approachable text and striking illustrations, the biographies bring these important individuals to brilliant life." – Shelf Awareness

Other books in the Little Guides to Great Lives series:
Amelia Earhart
Anne Frank
Charles Darwin
Ferdinand Magellan
Frida Kahlo
Leonardo Da Vinci
Maya Angelou
Nelson Mandela

Moth: An Evolution Story

by Isabel Thomas

“A rare pleasure … a true story of adaptation and hope.” ―Wall Street Journal

Powerful and visually spectacular, Moth is the remarkable evolution story that captures the struggle of animal survival against the background of an evolving human world in a unique and atmospheric introduction to Darwin's theory of Natural Selection.

“This is a story of light and dark…”

Against a lush backdrop of lichen-covered trees, the peppered moth lies hidden. Until the world begins to change...

Along come people with their magnificent machines which stain the land with soot. In a beautiful landscape changed by humans how will one little moth survive?

A clever picture book text about the extraordinary way in which animals have evolved, intertwined with the complication of human intervention. This remarkable retelling of the story of the peppered moth is the perfect introduction to natural selection and evolution for children.

A 2020 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books Finalist!
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2019!
A Horn Book Best Book of 2019!
A Shelf Awareness Best Book of 2019!

Stickyscapes Tropical Adventures

by Isabel Thomas

Sticker, learn and play! Bring the tropics to life with over 100 stickers to add to this panoramic play scene. One side represents the dense tropical jungle, while the other features the bottom of the deep blue tropical ocean. Learn about new jungle and ocean creatures, such as the clouded leopard and the coconut crab, find out plenty of fabulous animal facts and see your favourite animals in their natural habitat!

Little Guides to Great Lives: Marie Curie

by Isabel Thomas

Marie Curie was a brilliant scientist who coined the term 'radioactivity', discovered polonium and radium, and helped develop treatments for cancer. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, but her dedication to physics ultimately caused her death from radiation.

From artists to aviators and scientists to revolutionaries, Little Guides to Great Lives is a brand new series of small-format guides introducing children to the most inspirational figures from history in a fun, accessible way. Launching with Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, Nelson Mandela, and Amelia Earhart, Little Guides to Great Lives tells the stories of the most amazing people from all over the world and across history, with full-color illustrations and fresh design to bring their incredible stories to life.

Little Guides to Great Lives: Amelia Earhart

by Isabel Thomas

The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, Amelia Earhart was a superstar of aviation in the 1920s and 1930s and a pioneer of women's rights. Her disappearance in 1937, while attempting to fly around the world, remains an unsolved mystery.

From artists to aviators and scientists to revolutionaries, Little Guides to Great Lives is a brand new series of small-format guides introducing children to the most inspirational figures from history in a fun, accessible way. Launching with Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, Nelson Mandela, and Amelia Earhart, Little Guides to Great Lives tells the stories of the most amazing people from all over the world and across history, with full-color illustrations and fresh design to bring their incredible stories to life.

Frida Kahlo (Little Guides to Great Lives)

by Isabel Thomas

Frida Kahlo was a colorful Mexican artist who endured great pain and hardship, but used her bright, vivid brushstrokes to express her emotions and reveal her true personality. She created over 50 self-portraits, and is considered to be one of the most influential and inspirational artists of the 20th century.

Little Guides to Great Lives is a brand-new series of small-format guides introducing children to the most inspirational figures from history in a fun, accessible way. From Curie to Kahlo and Darwin to Da Vinci, Little Guides to Great Lives tells the stories of the most amazing people from all over the world and across history, with colorful illustrations and fresh design to bring their incredible stories to life.

Terrific Timelines: Cars: Press out, put together & display!

by Richard Ferguson, Isabel Thomas

Find out all about cars with this beautiful and unique display timeline.

Featuring 20 of the most famous and iconic cars from from their invention in the 1880s to today's modern supercars, each car has its own fact-file and press-out model to add to your ultimate car display.

With stunning illustrations by Michael Kirkham, this ingenious and eye-catching timeline slots together easily to brighten up any shelf, mantelpiece, or school display.

Stickyscapes:Polar

by Isabel Thomas

Learn about the North and South Poles with this amazing panoramic play scene! Including over 100 stickers for you to create your own icy scenes with, from sliding penguins to the lion's mane jellyfish, and from Inuit families to all the different types of snow vehicles. Also included are plenty of fabulous facts to complete your Polar knowledge!

Are We Running Out of Water? Mind Mappers—Making Difficult Subjects Easy To Understand (Environmental Books for Kids, Climate Change Books for Kids)

by Isabel Thomas

A unique and beautiful approach to understanding one of the most important environmental issues facing humankind—access to clean, fresh water.

Scientists, engineers, academics, and environmentalists warn that unless water use is drastically reduced, severe water shortage will affect the entire planet by 2040. But what does that mean? Why? What should we do?

Are We Running Out of Water? unravels the issues and the answers using a visual thinking technique called mind mapping, which makes complicated subjects easy to understand. Beautiful illustrations bring the many issues, concepts, and solutions to life. This engaging, fascinating, and important read will inspire and empower young readers to do their part to protect the planet’s most vital resource.

BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATIONS: Combines the beauty of a picture book with science-based facts and information.

TIMELY TOPIC: Inspired by activists like Greta Thunberg, kids are concerned about the environment and are taking active roles at home, school, and in the community to protect the planet.

UNIQUE APPROACH: Are We Running Out of Water? is structured using a visual thinking technique called "mind mapping," where complex ideas are broken down into a clear flow of visual information. The 'mind map' connects the information, making it easy to grasp.

ACCESSIBLE TO EVERY READER: The text is carefully layered and leveled for emerging to proficient readers.

COMPLETE THE COLLECTION: How Do We Stop Climate Change?: Mind Mappers also available.

Astronomical! An Awesome Encounter with the Wonders of the Universe

by Isabel Thomas, Sophie Allan (Physics teacher), Josh Barker

An awesome encounter with the wonders of the Universe.

Behold a cosmic treasure trove of spectacular photographs that captures space as you've never seen it before in this space book for children aged 9+.

Mind-blowing new images made possible by the latest technology can now take us to the heart of the Universe-from swirling dust devils on Mars, to emerging stars in nebulas, supermassive storms on Jupiter, as well as galaxies, comets, asteroids, and much more.

This space book for children offers:

• Fast facts and amazing stats that highlight the mind-blowing wonders of the Solar System and the Universe.
• A collection of spectacular images captured by the latest space telescope, the James Webb, as well as mesmerizing images from Hubble and other spacecraft.
• Content endorsed and authenticated by Smithsonian.

Up Close and Incredible: Human Body An Interactive Adventure with a 3× Magnifying Glass

by Isabel Thomas

Grab your 3× magnifying glass and go on a gross-out journey through the ins and outs of anatomy with Up Close and Incredible: Human Body.

In this scientific search-and-find adventure, you’ll join a team of tiny scientists, nurses and doctors as they explore a diverse range of bodies inside and out, from the tips of your toes to the snot in your nose. You’ll learn along the way how every part of your body does its job to keep you happy and healthy.

But it's not all a biology lesson: look closely through the magnifying glass, and you'll find scared scientists fleeing from a tastebud-tingling chili pepper, an ear-canal waterslide, and even a theater inside an eyeball! Your trusty magnifying glass will reveal new gags again and again among the scrapes, mishaps and wacky experiments of the miniature scientists, where every tiny detail tells a story, and every story reveals more incredible facts about the human body.

The larger-than-life scenes you'll explore include the brain, heart, lungs, digestive system, kidneys and bladder, reproductive system, skeleton, nerves and muscles, as well as the sensory organs and skin. With 14 scenes and 10 things to spot on each one, plus extra detail hidden on every page, Up Close and Incredible: Human Body has literally hundreds of facts and jokes to discover. A map of the human body at the back puts everything into context, while a gallery of scientists celebrates the famous faces who discovered many of the facts in the book.

This thrilling scientific journey of a book will have you gasping and laughing as you discover new shocking and hilarious facts about the body you’re in. The zany drawings are packed full of comedic details to spot, keeping your read fresh each time. So, what are you waiting for? Your magnified adventure into human anatomy awaits!

Project Penicillin The Race to Develop a Life-Saving Antibiotic

by Isabel Thomas

Experience the greatest breakthroughs in science with the DK Discoveries series.

On the battlefields of World War I, soldiers are dying from infected wounds. A young doctor witnessing the devastation vows to find a cure. In his messy laboratory a decade later, he makes an accidental discovery--a miracle mold that kills bacteria. But try as he might, he cannot turn his amazing find into a useful medicine.

This is the story of that chance discovery and the brilliant scientists who took Alexander Fleming's miracle mold and worked tirelessly to turn it into a treatment that doctors could use. As another war broke out in Europe, they found themselves in a race against time to grow enough penicillin and create the first antibiotic. Their teamwork and determination led to a class of drugs that saved countless lives and paved the way for modern surgery and other life-saving treatments.