Jessica Cordeiro’s illustrated book is an engaging resource on BC’s natural world

A book review by Tarmara O’Brien, teacher, Chilliwack

BC is uniquely weird and wonderful! Jessica Cordeiro is a talented artist who has used her artistic lens to focus on the beauty that hides in plain sight in this province. Her talent as an art teacher and a mother of young children has helped her reduce complex visuals into kid-friendly, eye-catching illustrations that are memorable and easily identifiable in nature. Cordeiro has successfully paired interesting facts that parallel the key visual components of each weird and wonderful creature and plant that she presents, helping children connect to nature through her art. This book is an engaging introduction to some of BC’s hidden organic kingdom.

Cordeiro’s Weird and Wonderful BC is an excellent visual companion for teachers and parents who want to help children engage with nature with an artistic lens. This book relates to BC curricular learning around local environmental knowledge and place-based learning, and it can serve as a helpful resource to engage children in how they look at local flora and fauna.