Natural Wonders of the World

By Jim Robbins Dorling Kindersley £30

Ten-year-old me would have adored this gallery of geographical spectacles. In typical DK style, mostly continent-themed chapters are packed with detailed 3D diagrams, annotated maps, timelines and fact-boxes. Jaw-dropping photography makes it a take-me-there wanderlust generator, augmenting familiar destinations with curiosities such as Senegal’s lipstick-pink Lake Retba. The geological slant means text can be rather dry – a minor quibble in a beautiful book. Paul Bloomfield Travel writer