I do wish that I could give D.K. Publishing's (and created in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institute) 2023 Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials five and not four stars. For indeed, Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials is visually stunning (with wonderful, expressive photographs and detailed, enlightening illustrations), is a textually informative, educationally extensive general introduction to planet Earth from the birth of the universe and the solar system (astronomy) to information on geology and biology (plants, animals, extinction etc.). And I majorly do enjoy and equally majorly appreciate that (and thankfully so) Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials is also not overly intensive in scope (and is thus nicely suited and delightfully appropriate for children from about the age of nine or ten onwards, and honestly speaking for anyone wanting something basic, uncomplicated, engagingly penned whilst at the same time not sacrificing scientific rigour and factual accuracy either).
And indeed, Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials is absolutely and delightfully teeming with not only hard core and scientifically sound natural history and science factoids but also presents (and as already hinted at by the book title) wonderful and educational visual timelines (covering minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years), so that from the Big Bang and the birth of the universe and continuing onwards towards the formation of earth, readers both young and old can for example learn how many years it took the Moon to form and witness Earth's continents colliding, can discover the history regarding geological features such as the Grand Canyon, the Sahara Dessert and the Himalayas and of course and importantly how life life (how all forms of life, including humanity) evolved, from the first single-celled organisms to the extraordinary variety of entities living today (plants, animals, fungi), that Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials reveals the secrets of life and natural history using both facts and also concepts of time (and in a way that makes even billions and millions of years feel approachable and relatable).
But while with regard to to enlightenment and the combination of text and images Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials is definitely five stars and as such also highly recommended, I do personally speaking (and as someone with less than stellar eyesight) find the font size used in Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials more than a bit too small for easy reading, the visual contrasts annoying and headache producing (not always but certainly much too often, and that I do massively and definitely detest needing to squint for some of the sections of Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials and even whilst wearing my strongest reading glasses) and that the sources (the so-called acknowledgements) provided for Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials at the back of the book are so minuscule that they are basically illegible and as such also totally user unfriendly.
Thus and combined with the fact that Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials should also (and in my in this case not so humble opinion) be providing a list of books and websites for further study and reading, albeit Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials is most definitely an educational treasure and treat in many ways, there is also no way that five stars are warranted here (and that even my four star rating is likely rather generous, since in particular the issues I am having with being able to read with ease have certainly soured me a bit on Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials, and that I am also going to have to assume that other D.K. Publishing Timelines books will likely have and show similar issues, and honestly, if the hardcover edition of Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials already has issues with font size and contrast, the Kindle edition will likely be even worse).