The phrase "It’s the holidays" can be used to justify almost anything when it comes to gifts.

People who would not ordinarily buy a coffee-table book, for instance, are attracted to the oversize books, either for others or for their own gift list.

David Muench’s beautiful "Windstone" is one such book, a place where wind and stone meet, where nature’s sculptures are subjects, whether on an iceberg or in a Utah canyon.

Natural arches and bridges, the arch of a moss-laden big leaf maple, an Arizona bristlecone pine, and other openings pop off the page, wonders in themselves or as frames for a moon, fall color, or a mountain range.

Ruth Rudner’s essay ties them together, offering insights into the place of the arch in geology, history, architecture and folklore.

Other good options:

It would be hard to have a bird book more comprehensive than "Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds" and still be able to carry it from the bookshelf.

For those who do not travel the world, the 656-page book puts 9,850 species at your fingertips, with color photographs and illustrations.

Each family has a "fact file" of the basics but also a page or more of interesting natural history, with various focus points, such as why an owl looks like an owl, how pigeons navigate, or surviving at the extremes.

Astronomer Jean-Louis Heudier’s "The Night Sky" is the season’s most useful and accessible sky book.

This is the stargazer’s guide to 2004, month by month. Each section develops themes, lists day-by-day phenomena, teaches about an astronomical topic, focuses on a region of the sky, gives the rising and setting of the sun, moon and five planets visible with the naked eye, and provides a sky chart.

For children ages 7-9, "Amazing Things Animals Do" is a can’t-miss choice.

"Amazing" is from four books published in the 1990s. Marilyn Baillie focuses on animal babies (pouch house, upside-down nursery), storing food (pika piles), working together (protector ants, hitching a ride on a shark) and communications (howling to dancing).

For ages 3-6, "Wild Colors" is a delightful tour of the colors in the wild kingdom, from the blue-footed booby to a magenta-and-gold sea anemone.

Gavriel Jecan and Andrea Helman package large photographs and a paragraph for the parent to read.

The soft cover version of adventure writer Tim Cahill’s "Dolphins" brings a more realistic picture than cartoons or mystical epiphanies.

Dolphins are predators, albeit beautiful ones, and the images from the IMAX film "Dolphins" can only add to readers’ appreciation levels of the sleek mammals.

The wise one returns: "Lefty Kreh’s Ultimate Guide to Fly Fishing" combines about 50 years and 20 books worth of advice in 406 pages.

No need for color photographs for Lefty – he sticks with black-and-white photos, line drawings and a bucket of sage advice, whether you’re after barracuda, bass or bonefish.

The author of "Theodore Roosevelt on Hunting" was president for eight years but a hunter for a lifetime.

In this book, excerpts from three hunting books have been collected to cover both his Western years and his African safaris.

If you know someone who is really serious about sailing worldwide, then "How to Sail Around the World" is worthy of consideration.

Hal Roth’s book is for the sailor who has gone way beyond the armchair-traveler stage, with three chapters on storm management alone.

Roth also delves deeply into planning the trip, foreign paperwork, finding the right yacht, being seen at night, schooling at sea, and the difference between the dream and the reality.

Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964, or www.songandword.com.