Catherine Barr

Catherine Barr is a British author and journalist best known for writing children’s nonfiction books, particularly those focused on science, nature, and the world around us. Before becoming a children’s author, she worked as a journalist, which helped shape her ability to communicate information in a clear and engaging way. She later moved into writing books for children, where she combines factual content with narrative techniques to make learning enjoyable. Her work aims to make complex topics like evolution, space, and climate change accessible and engaging for young readers to understand the natural world.

She co-authored her first book The Story of Life: A First Book About Evolution, with science teacher Steve Williams, following a search of a story that could explain evolution to her two girls.
Following its success, other books emerged in a series that includes The Story of Climate Change, The Story of Conservation and The Story of Dinosaurs. She has written over 35 true stories about nature to share with children and grown-ups. Some of her other well-known books include Fourteen Wolves: A Rewilding Story, which tells the true story of wolves returning to Yellowstone and is one of her most acclaimed works. She has also written The Story of Space: A First Book About Our Universe, which combines storytelling with factual science content for children. Other titles include 10 Reasons to Love a Penguin, A Bear Belongs, The Story of Climate Change, The Story of People, and Invisible Nature, which explores hidden forces in the natural world. More recent works also include books like Water: How We Can Protect Our Freshwater and Wildlife Crossings, which focus on conservation and protecting animals and ecosystems. Catherine studied ecology before working with Greenpeace for many years on wildlife issues, focusing on sea turtles and other endangered species. Fascinated by nature and particularly the power of words, she studied journalism and became editor at the Natural History Museum in London where she wrote summer exhibitions. She has also worked with many organisations on strategic communications for social and environmental change. 

All her books introduce big ideas about human history, and environmental issues in a way that is easy for children to understand, often supported by striking illustrations from collaborating artists. Her books are often used in schools as educational resources because they present important topics in a clear, engaging, and visually appealing format. Today, Catherine Barr continues to write children’s nonfiction, helping young readers explore and understand the world through informative and inspiring books. She lives close to the Welsh hills and visits schools around the country, to encourage children to get involved in protecting our natural world. She is a proud Patron of Reading for her local school and Values-based Education Author in Residence. Across her writing, Barr consistently focuses on environmental education, conservation, and making complex scientific ideas accessible to children through clear explanations and strong visual storytelling.