Professor Tamsin Mather, Supernumerary Fellow in Earth Sciences and Professor of Earth Sciences at Univ, has teamed up with fellow Oxford volcanologist David Pyle, illustrator Daniel Long and publishers Nosy Crow to produce the book Think Big: The Power of Volcanoes, aimed at 7- to 11-year-olds.

Professor Mather said: “I have always wanted to write a book about volcanoes for younger readers as I think they are such an exciting way to explore thinking more deeply about our and other planets. I think that the best science books for this age group are all about combining words and pictures to tell a scientific story. Daniel’s illustrations are utterly beautiful, capture the science and are really fun to look at too. I love the way he has drawn from old pictures of eruptions as well as lots and lots recent photos of volcanoes. It was fantastic to watch him develop his illustrations to bring our words to life!”

The book, which is published today, will be launched with a morning of talks and activities at Oxford’s Natural History Museum on Saturday 6 June 2026.

Details of the upcoming events in Oxford can be found here: https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/event/the-power-of-volcanoes

The book is available here.

Published: 4 June 2026

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