History FACTopia!
Paige Towler, illustrated by Andy Smith
What on Earth Books

In this, the fifth in the clever series readers are invited to ‘Follow ye olde trail of 400 facts’ beginning with the discovery by archaeologists in China of a pair of trousers 3,300 years old right through to the final fact about a group of claqueurs who were hired by theatres in 18th century France to applaud, cry and laugh to inspire audience participation. That, I’ve most certainly not heard of before, but then the same is true of quite a lot of the fascinating facts herein.

It’s overflowing with nuggets of historical information – did you know that in 1988, inspired by local barrow derby races Jamaica formed its first ever bobsled team. I guess they must have had some snow around then.

Astonishing too is to read that in 14th century Europe, when the bubonic plague struck, some people believed that by eating a spoonful of crushed emeralds you could be cured.
Perfect for sparking further investigation from curious minds. Your journey will twist and turn forwards and backwards through time, across the world, embracing a variety of cultures, beliefs and noteworthy happenings. For instance, information about the oldest known prosthetic body part, a 3000 year old artificial toe made of wood and leather, attached to an Egyptian mummy, leads to either further facts about mummies

or information about the world’s oldest pillow made 9000 years ago in Mesopotamia and made of stone. Ouch!

Children will enjoy the humour, vibrant graphic-style illustrations and photos throughout this zany compilation; it’s playful learning that is likely to spark further investigations from the curious.
Back matter includes an index, a detailed glossary of historical terms, and information about the FACTopians.