A BOOK TO READ

Wonderland – A Year of Britain’s Wildlife Day by Day (John Murray, £20) WE OFTEN FORGET TO APPRECIATE THE NATURE ON OUR DOORSTEP, BUT HERE TWO NATURALISTS GO ON A SEASONAL TOUR TO REMIND US WHAT A ‘WONDERLAND’ BRITAIN REALLY IS. TOGETHER, THEY CHART 12 MONTHS OF WILDLIFE, SHOWCASING THE CREATURES TO BE FOUND IN OUR SKIES, FIELDS, RIVERS AND GARDENS. The Otters’ Tale (William Collins, £16.99) CONSERVATIONIST SIMON COOPER GOT MORE THAN HE BARGAINED FOR WHEN HE BOUGHT AN ABANDONED WATERMILL – ALREADY HOME TO A FAMILY OF OTTERS. HE IMMERSED HIMSELF IN THEIR DAILY ROUTINES AND IN THIS BOOK INTERTWINES NATURAL HISTORY WITH A PERSONAL STORY, PROVIDING A LYRICAL INSIGHT INTO THE LIFE OF THIS SECRETIVE MAMMAL.