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Timelines of Nature: From Mountains and Glaciers to Mayflies and Marsupials
Discover the fascinating history of our planet with this unique collection of visual timelines.
Full of exciting visual timelines covering minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years, Timelines of Nature reveals our planet’s natural history and its life cycles in an entirely new way.
Beginning at our world’s existence; children aged 9+ will learn how many years it took the Moon to form and witness Earth’s continents collide. Discover the history of Earth’s most spectacular features – from the Grand Canyon to the Sahara desert. See how life evolved, from the first single-celled organisms to the extraordinary variety of creatures living today. Then we look at life on Earth today. Every species on Earth has its own unique story – Timelines of Nature reveals these weird and wonderful life cycles through fascinating visual timelines. It tells you what’s really happening on Earth each minute of every day.
This beautiful nature book for children
- Beautiful timelines teach young readers all about geology, plants, and animals.
- Each timeline is unique and depicts a different topic, such as the story of how whales evolved, how the Moon was formed, or how a tiger spends its day.
- Feature pages highlight climactic moments in nature, for example, the butterfly finally emerging from its chrysalis.
- Supporting educational boxes on each page explain key points about nature, helping kids to discover more about the world around them.
Children can marvel at a variety of different timeframes in nature, like geological timelines spanning thousands of years; a year in the life of a habitat, a day in the life of an animal, and complete plant life cycles.
Ever wondered what the mayfly does with its short life? In this book, you’ll find out how it lives as a nymph for two weeks, before flying out of the water for just a day in the sky as a mayfly. If you’ve ever thought about how a chimpanzee spends its day, how the rainforest changes over 24 hours, or how long a kangaroo’s pregnancy lasts, then this is the book for you!
Explore the series!
If you like Timelines of Nature , why not check out other our exciting titles in the Timelines series? Explore the unique collection of visual timelines which bring big topics to life. Discover leaders, legends and legacies in Timelines of Black History , uncover the past from woolly mammoths to World Wars in Timelines of Everything and explore key milestones and breakthroughs with Timelines of Science.
Full of exciting visual timelines covering minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years, Timelines of Nature reveals our planet’s natural history and its life cycles in an entirely new way.
Beginning at our world’s existence; children aged 9+ will learn how many years it took the Moon to form and witness Earth’s continents collide. Discover the history of Earth’s most spectacular features – from the Grand Canyon to the Sahara desert. See how life evolved, from the first single-celled organisms to the extraordinary variety of creatures living today. Then we look at life on Earth today. Every species on Earth has its own unique story – Timelines of Nature reveals these weird and wonderful life cycles through fascinating visual timelines. It tells you what’s really happening on Earth each minute of every day.
This beautiful nature book for children
- Beautiful timelines teach young readers all about geology, plants, and animals.
- Each timeline is unique and depicts a different topic, such as the story of how whales evolved, how the Moon was formed, or how a tiger spends its day.
- Feature pages highlight climactic moments in nature, for example, the butterfly finally emerging from its chrysalis.
- Supporting educational boxes on each page explain key points about nature, helping kids to discover more about the world around them.
Children can marvel at a variety of different timeframes in nature, like geological timelines spanning thousands of years; a year in the life of a habitat, a day in the life of an animal, and complete plant life cycles.
Ever wondered what the mayfly does with its short life? In this book, you’ll find out how it lives as a nymph for two weeks, before flying out of the water for just a day in the sky as a mayfly. If you’ve ever thought about how a chimpanzee spends its day, how the rainforest changes over 24 hours, or how long a kangaroo’s pregnancy lasts, then this is the book for you!
Explore the series!
If you like Timelines of Nature , why not check out other our exciting titles in the Timelines series? Explore the unique collection of visual timelines which bring big topics to life. Discover leaders, legends and legacies in Timelines of Black History , uncover the past from woolly mammoths to World Wars in Timelines of Everything and explore key milestones and breakthroughs with Timelines of Science.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2023
About the author
D.K. Publishing
10.1k books2,163 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 13, 2023
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).
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).
reference
February 9, 2026I don't love everything in this book (didn't read the whole thing) but was a great one to get a lot of life cycles material for our science lesson.
December 29, 2025
From D.K. Publishing, Timelines of Nature is an oversized science book that highlights the creation of life and explores the many ecosystems on our planet. Split into 3 categories: Earth, plants & fungi, and then animals; readers are lead on an exploration of both the Earth's history and the communities that can be found all around.
Each page follows a formula of a small overview of the topic before delving onto a display of a seasonal cycle of the environment. From there, we get to learn about how things changed and adapt with each rotating season and new eras in history. Additionally, after each location is covered, we are given a spotlight page on an object or creature found in that area, i.e. the Moon, a flower, or butterfly, etc. As such with books under D.K. Publishing, the text is always accompanied by high quality photos, or in some cases, detailed illustrations. So while it can feel heavy in learning of various topics related to nature, it is quite informative and encourages readers to explore more of the natural world.
Each page follows a formula of a small overview of the topic before delving onto a display of a seasonal cycle of the environment. From there, we get to learn about how things changed and adapt with each rotating season and new eras in history. Additionally, after each location is covered, we are given a spotlight page on an object or creature found in that area, i.e. the Moon, a flower, or butterfly, etc. As such with books under D.K. Publishing, the text is always accompanied by high quality photos, or in some cases, detailed illustrations. So while it can feel heavy in learning of various topics related to nature, it is quite informative and encourages readers to explore more of the natural world.
August 28, 2023
Such a cool book! The kids love looking at it and learning new facts!
August 28, 2023
such a fantastic in depth book that my son and i enjoy reading together. this is a book we will be able to go back and reference time and time again. stunning pictures and amazing details. love this
August 28, 2023
This is a great book. My grandchildren loved the facts and colorful pictures.
July 31, 2023
Great content and fun to read!
June 28, 2023
What a beautiful book! As an upper elementary teacher, I am so pleased with this book. It has clear, well illustrated timelines on a multitude of environmental subjects. It is engaging and the descriptions are clear, using vocabulary that is just right for my students. I can't wait to add it to my classroom bookshelf.
June 25, 2023
This Smithsonian book is an amazing depiction of the timelines of nature. It’s packed with vivid pictures, and descriptions, perfect for all ages. Even my three year old, enjoyed learning about the plants and animals. The pictures were an excellent description and distraction.
June 26, 2023
Excellent book for kids (or adults) who are interested in nature with stunning illustrations and interesting facts. My 9 and 8 year old sons love this book!
June 27, 2023
Beautiful imagery, well written. Young ones love the vibrant pictures and sit for fun facts you give them. Will be recommending to friends!
July 5, 2023
I love all the facts!!!!
Read
October 23, 2025Explore the natural world through time Discover the fascinating history of our planet with this unique collection of visual timelines. First, the book looks back to the start of our world’s existence. Learn how many years it took the moon to form and witness Earth’s continents collide. Discover the history of Earth’s most spectacular features—from the Grand Canyon to the Sahara Desert. See how life evolved, from the first single-celled organisms to the extraordinary variety of creatures living today. Then we look at life on Earth today. Every species on Earth has its own unique story—Timelines of Nature reveals these weird and wonderful life cycles through fascinating visual timelines. It tells you what’s really happening on Earth each minute of every day. Ever wondered what the mayfly does with its short life? In this book, you’ll find out how it lives as a nymph for two weeks, before emerging out of the water to fly for just a day in the sky as a mayfly. If you’ve ever thought about how a chimpanzee spends its day, how the rainforest changes over 24 hours, or how long a kangaroo’s pregnancy lasts, then this is the book for you. Full of exciting visual timelines covering minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years, Timelines of Nature reveals our planet’s natural history and its life cycles in an entirely new way.
September 14, 2023
Perfect for teaching/learning about how nature has changed overtime
January 9, 2024
I love this book and all that it shows. It is nice for kids to learn from, as well as adults.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews