I’ve had my eye on this highly visual book for some time, so I was thrilled when Quarto gifted me a copy recently. Regular followers of the blog will know that I really love Quarto’s factual editions as they pack a such a mighty punch, and this is absolutely no exception.

Featuring Yuval Zommer’s impressive and vibrant illustrations, The Street Beneath My Feet takes you on a journey through the Earth’s layers, right down to the planet’s core, and then in reverse. It’s very cleverly designed as you can flick through the concertina-style pages (which are robust enough to be handled repeatedly by young hands) like a conventional picture book, or you can pull it out into one long strip, which makes it really appealing to kids. You’ll see in the photos below that my son was right up on the table after I opened out the book, working through the layers, zooming in on the details and constantly asking question after question.

While it’s the perfect book for inquisitive kids at any time, it’s really come into its own as a homeschooling multitasker in the last few weeks. Hugo has a real fascination for geology so when we approached certain sections of the Earth’s crust, we started to discuss the various types of rock, minerals and gemstones that we could find. When we got to the tectonic plates, we veered off onto the subject of earthquakes and other natural geological and meteorological disasters, and on reaching the Earth’s core, he wanted to know if the diameter of the Earth was larger or smaller than the depth of the Mariana Trench, so we then headed off in a completely new direction. This is the sort of pupil-led learning I love, as H – who’s only just turned 7 – doesn’t actually see this as ‘schoolwork’, he just has lots of fun finding out new facts. He’s enjoyed it so much that he’s asked me to buy the other book in the series, Skies Above My Eyes – I can’t really say no, can I?!

The Street Beneath My Feet
Author: Charlotte Guillain
Illustrator: Yuval Zummer
Publisher: Words & Pictures (imprint of Quarto Group)
ISBN: 9781784937317
Hardback: 20 Pages

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