Gift Focus - Mar/Apr 2018 (Issue 106)

104 giftfocus CITY BIRDS: AN URBAN BIRDWATCHING LOGBOOK BY MIKE UNWIN RRP: £12.99 Format: Paperback ISBN: 9781786272164 City Birds: An Urban Birdwatching Logbook by Mike Unwin and Christine Berry is a beautifully illustrated logbook for birders based in the city. It’s a beautifully produced journal for city dwellers to fill in as they look out for their favourite species amid the urban bustle. Plus, some birds to look out for on weekends away to the countryside. Christine Berrie’s colourful illustrations are accompanied by interesting facts written by leading ornithologist Mike Unwin. Did you know that the European Bee-Eater eats up to 250 bees in one day, the Blue Jay collects shiny objects and the Magpie can recognise itself in a mirror? With these helpful hints you’ll be identifying bird species in no time. Did that birdsong end with a strange crunching gravelly sound? It must be the Black Redstart! Fifty bird stickers are provided so you can stick in the birds you have spotted in your garden or further afield. The logbook includes space for your own notes and observations. Available at laurenceking.com HIRAMEKI RRP: £9.95 Format: 36 Placemats ISBN: 9780500420737 Hirameki – ‘brainwave’ or ‘flash of inspiration’ in Japanese – is where doodling and imagination come together. Simply put, it’s the art of turning a random blot into something amazing, just by adding a few dots and lines. Unleash your imagination – and think outside the blot! The artists Peng & Hu first discovered the fantastical phenomenon of Hirameki when they saw a cow with a splotch that looked just like a famous film star. They quickly realised that even the tiniest blot could be easily turned into something brilliant. Hirameki is an art form for everybody: even the most inexperienced doodlers can produce hundreds of sensational scribbles! For further information, please visit thameshudson.com I KNOW A WOMAN BY KATE HODGES RRP: £20 Format: Hardback ISBN: 9781781317365 Behind every great woman… is another great woman, says Kate Hodges in this beautifully illustrated, inspiring look at the lives of women who have shaped our world, published to coincide with International Women’s Day 2018. Whether they were spies who smuggled state secrets in their underwear, glamorous film stars who also invented the vital elements of wi-fi, suffragettes who were force fed in jail or ex-slaves who led hundreds of others to freedom, all these women were inspired by other women; through the support of friends, cheerleaders, mentors and most of all the female ground- breakers who had come before them. Sarah Papworth’s vibrant and original illustrations bring these figures to life and each artwork not only represents the woman that is being read about but shows how she fitted into the world. For further information, please visit quartoknows.com UNICORN COOKBOOK BY ALIX CAREY RRP: £10.99 Format: Hardback ISBN: 9781786853004 The magical realm of the mighty unicorn comes to life in this dazzling cookery book brimming with sparkles and rainbows. From the magical explosion cake to happiness pancakes, The Unicorn Cookbook is packed with recipes perfect for parties and times when all you want to do is spread some joy and release your inner unicorn. Chapters Include: Cupcakes; Party Food; Breakfast; Bars and Bites; Cookies and Biscuits; Celebration Cakes; Drinks; and Desserts. Recipes include: Unicorn Popcorn; Fairy Dust Macarons; Rainbow Cheesecake Brownie; and Majestic Unicorn Cake. For further information, please visit summersdale.com bookshelf We turn the page on some of the latest gift books to hit the shelves