Alex Morss

Welcome. You can use the search bar at the top to find lovely books, or scroll down for some top nature picks from me (click on list headings to see the full list) & you can also find my books on here via the link below. 

Our no 1 best selling 'Funny Bums, Freaky Beaks' is a Guardian top pick in children’s non fiction and recommended by the English Association.  This fun and slightly rude science book celebrates difference and diversity and is particularly loved by kids aged 4-10 and grown ups who are curious about unusual and weird body parts in the animal kingdom.

I’ve also made a 4-part seasonal ecology book series for young children combining science-rich adventure stories, illustrations & non-fiction sections to explore nature through the year (with Sean Taylor & Cinyee Chiu). Each book is packed with wild knowledge for 4 to 7 year olds, encouraging children to explore wildlife and natural history. These books support educators, naturalists with nature-curious children, deepen eco literacy and hopefully inspire outdoor discovery and further learning:

❄️ 'Winter Sleep: A Hibernation Story' was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2020 & is a recommended years 1 & 2 science and literacy book (by the Children's Literacy in Primary Education charity). In this story, a young boy and his wise grandma go exploring a snowy woodland and she answers his questions about where all the wildlife is hiding.

🌱 'Busy Spring: Nature Wakes Up' was voted by @InclusiveStoryTime + 400 judges as 'Best of 2021' for most innovative non-fiction.

In this book, children explore a wildlife garden and also learn about woodland wildflowers,  animals in spring, adaptations such as metamorphosis, migration, mutualisms, pollination, photosynthesis, seed dispersal, phenology, climate change & ways they can help wildlife.
 

☀️ 'Wild Summer: Life in the Heat' is a Guardian top pick and it won a Best of 2022 Instagram Bookstagang Most Innovative Non Fiction award. Wild Summer introduces and explores how a warming climate affects wildlife, interesting animal adaptations, and gently explains many of the effects of heat to young children, but without being apocalyptic. We walk readers through a series of summer habitats: meadow, heathland, freshwater, charred pine forest, cliffs, coast, oceans, and the young girl asks her naturalist grandad an important question: Would wildlife want it to be summer forever?  We introduce fossils and what they reveal, drought, heat and concepts such as migration, aestivation, fire ecology, ocean carbon cycling, coral reefs, plant and animal adaptations. We give examples of winners and losers in a heating world.

🍁 ‘Autumn Feast: Nature’s Harvest’ concludes this series - published in August 2024. This story follows a family who go exploring and foraging on a blustery autumn day, as their local park turns into a flurry of red, orange, pink and gold
They are enchanted by the sights and sounds around them – crunchy leaves, a feast of nuts and fruits, and the children discover lots of plants, animals and fungi and how they are preparing for cooler months. We introduce animal behaviour, evolutionary adaptations and plant science, throughout the story and in the non-fiction section.  
 

These books are available in several languages (French, German, Dutch, Romanian, Chinese, Korean). 
 

I was consultant editor on the ‘The Most Important Animal of All’ by Penny Worms & Hannah Bailey, published in 2021. It’s been endorsed by the British Ecological Society & some profits go to help under represented young people kickstart careers in ecology. 

Writers, artists and bookshops receive a share of the profits from books sold on this site. My links below offer a few book ideas from me and others.

ABOUT ME: I am based in Bristol, U.K. Mostly I write about, teach and do ecology & natural history for children and adults [especially bats, botany, invertebrates, mammals, reptiles & amphibians]. I also do outreach, writing & science comms more widely on environment and I have worked with a number of wildlife charities and NGOs. I am a trustee of Bristol Naturalists Society.

I have science degrees in ecology, biology, biological recording & environmental science & many years experience in ecological consultancy. I've also worked with the media for many years as a qualified journalist, consultant, adviser, press officer and on National Union of Journalists stuff.

My website: www.alexmorss.co.uk 

Social media:  @morss_alex