These two books were probably the most influential books I read as a child. The first, “Animals of Farthing Wood” by Colin Dann was published in 1979 and I was given it for Christmas 1980 by my auntie. The second, “Bill Oddie’s Gone Birding” was published in 1983 and I bought it in 1984 during a summer holiday to the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and then spent the rest of the holiday reading it.
My original copy of the Animals of Farthing Wood was lost during a house move at some point in my 20s but was gifted to me this Christmas. Reading it as an adult reminded me how influential this book had been on an impressionable 10 year old, so I also re-read Bill’s book which still had me laughing out loud all these years later.
If you know an aspiring young ecologist or ornithologist then I would thoroughly recommend both of these books as essential and inspiring reading.
What books from your childhood influenced you?