Following a long career as a biology teacher, Gill Arbuthnott published her first book for children, The Chaos Clock in 2003. Inspired by her love of science fiction as well as science fact, her previous works include The Keeper's Daughter for Chicken House and Germ Wars for Barrington Stoke. Previous titles for A & C Black include the fantastic introduction to the building blocks of life, What Makes You YOU?

What exactly is a living thing? And what is it made of? A Beginner's Guide to Life on Earth starts with the very basics of life and provides manageable bite sized chunks of information to explain away the mystery behind life on Earth.

From bacteria to blue whales, slime moulds to sequoias and everything in-between, discover what exactly makes a living thing.

Packed full of fantastic artwork and brilliant photos along with amazing facts, A Beginner's Guide to Life on Earth is the perfect guide to life on Earth.