Open Biodiversity Across the UAE at the butterfly spread and try tracing the outline of one wing with your finger before picking up a pencil. Which markings repeat on the other wing? Which shapes did you only see on a second look? It is an exercise two people can do together, even if one is still learning the names of the colours.
Illustrated by Lateefa bint Maktoum and commissioned by Tasmeem Tashkeel, the book pairs drawings with common names in Arabic and English and with scientific names. Start with a shape, then use the names to look further. Tashkeel describes the book as an artistic introduction to local wildlife. Take a field guide along if you want to identify an unfamiliar species outdoors.
The pages lie flat, and each illustration has a blank reverse. That gives a child room to experiment with pencils or inks and makes it possible to take out a finished drawing. Tashkeel listed the book at AED 290 at launch.
The same exercise works with a plain notebook. On your next walk, choose a leaf you can see from the path. Sketch its outline, look up again and add one detail you missed. Compare drawings before either of you names the plant, and leave the leaf where it grows.
