4 Best Illustrated Atlases of the World’s Oceans
Explore four illustrated ocean atlases, from ocean-floor maps to guides to marine life and habitats.
Category: Nature
Field guides for observing the natural world.
5 Best Field Guides to Tide Pool Creatures
Explore five field guides to tide-pool and coastal life along Pacific and Hawaiian shores.
Best Field Guides to Mosses and Lichens: 6 Books Compared
Explore six field guides covering mosses and lichens across northeastern North America, California, Ohio, and beyond.
Best Botanical Illustrated Encyclopedias: 5 Books on Plants and Flowers
Explore five illustrated botanical books, from global wild flowers and floral lore to botany and regional plant identification.
Best Fungi Encyclopedias: 4 Books on Mushroom Lore and Identification
Explore four fungi encyclopedias, from mushroom lore to North American and worldwide identification guides.
Best Ocean Animal Encyclopedias: 4 Illustrated Picks
For readers choosing an ocean book for a child, explore four encyclopedias by age guidance and ocean-life coverage.
Best Cactus Identification Guides: 6 Books for Arizona, the Southwest, and Texas
Explore six guides covering cacti in Arizona, the Southwest, and Texas, plus one with care guidance for cacti and succulents.
Best Fern Identification Guides: 3 Field Guides for Eastern North America
Explore three fern field guides covering central, northeastern, and eastern North America, with keys, photos, and maps.
Best Cactus Identification Guides: 2 Southwest and Texas Picks
Explore two cactus guides for identifying Southwestern and Texas cacti, organized by group or shape.
Best Coral Reef Identification Guides: 2 Picks for Florida, Caribbean & Indonesia
Explore two photo guides to corals and marine life in Florida, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Indonesia.
Best Fruit Tree Identification Guides: 4 Field Guide Picks
Four field guides for readers identifying trees by fruit, twigs, and other visible features.
Best Saltwater Fish Identification Guides: 11 Picks by Region
Compare 11 saltwater fish guides by region, from Pacific and tropical reefs to Florida and the Chesapeake.
Best Freshwater Fish Identification Guides: 4 Field Guide Picks
Explore four North American freshwater fish guides, from folding field references to paperbacks with identification details.
Best Mammal Encyclopedias: 5 Picks for Broad and Focused Coverage
Explore five mammal encyclopedias, from broad genus references to a kids’ guide for ages 7–10.
Best Snake Identification Guides: 8 Picks for U.S. Regions and Worldwide
Explore eight snake guides covering the United States, regional areas, Texas, California, and species worldwide, with features for identification and wildlife viewing.
Best Whale and Dolphin Encyclopedias: 6 Top Picks
Explore six whale and dolphin encyclopedias, from worldwide cetacean guides to a North American field guide and broader marine mammal references.
Best Amphibian Encyclopedias: 2 Illustrated Reference Books
Explore two illustrated references: one covers mammals too, while the other focuses on reptile and amphibian families.
Best Reptile Encyclopedias: 3 Top Picks
Explore three reptile encyclopedias, from broad family coverage and life histories to species details and live specimen care.
Best Wildlife Encyclopedias: 4 Animal Reference Books
Four wildlife encyclopedias, including broad animal references and illustrated options for children aged 9 and up.
Best Fish Encyclopedias: 4 Books for Different Interests
Explore four fish encyclopedias covering aquarium care, Darwin’s writings, seafood cooking, and species identification.
2 Dendrochronology Books: Popular Introduction or Methods Reference
Tree Story is accessible to general readers, while Fundamentals of Tree Ring Research covers subjects newcomers need and serves as a reference for practitioners at all levels.
2 Children’s Books About Animal Ears: Choose by Reader Age
The books target different reader ranges: Genius Ears: A Curious Animal Compendium is for ages 6 to 12, while What If You Had Animal Ears? is intended for ages 4 to 8.
2 Books About Joshua Trees: Choose Ecology or Focused History
Desert Forest covers Joshua tree ecologies and socio-political histories, while Yuck focuses on discovery, naming, eradication, and changing cultural meanings.
2 Tim Laman Books for Birds-of-Paradise or All-Continent Bird Coverage
Birds of Paradise: Revealing the World’s Most Extraordinary Birds documents all 39 unique birds-of-paradise species, while Bird Planet: A Photographic Journey covers bird life on all continents.
2 Terance James Bond Books: Choose Full-Color Presentation or Written Context
One verified difference is page count: Birds: The Paintings of Terance James Bond has 128 pages, while Birds: An Artist’s View has 192.
2 Richard Orr Books for Kids: Bird Guide or Underground Habitats?
The Bird Atlas uses maps to show where birds are found, while Life Underground presents underground habitats through detailed panoramic artwork.
2 Christian Ziegler Books: Choose Your Forest Focus
Jungle Spirits spans tropical rainforests around the world, while A Magic Web focuses on Barro Colorado’s tropical-forest ecology.