Sometimes children’s literature can be works of art, literally. If you ask me, Terra Ultima: The Discovery of a Hidden Continent is a clear example of this. It’s challenging to explain the charm of this book, without risking completely spoiling it. To still reveal something of the premise: Terra Ultima presents itself as a reflection on a few scientific expeditions towards an unknown continent full of wonderful new creatures. We view these expeditions through the eyes of biologist Noah J. Stern, who has compiled the notes and zoological illustrations of fellow scientist and world explorer Raoul Deleo. The result is a truly unique book with stunning, fantastical illustrations and a narrative that transported me back to more mysterious times in which we humans had yet to categorize the majority of our world’s species.

Apart from the imaginative illustrations – I can’t stress enough how cool these are – Terra Ultima consists of writing that neatly balances between pseudo-scientific, humorous and accessible language. Where children might read this book and enjoy a (semi-)realistic adventure story, “grown-ups” can entertain themselves with the numerous little jokes hidden throughout the binomial nomenclature.