Secret Factopia!
Paige Towler, illustrated by Andy Smith
What on Earth Books

You never know where you might end up when you open this book. Readers will discover all kinds of weird, wonderful and sometimes downright disgusting facts as they explore the various trails presented in this latest Factopia extravaganza. With 400 mysterious facts trails to follow, there are revelations of secrets relating to a whole gamut of topics from fashion to forensics, creepy crawlies to camouflage and cryptography, and toilets to theme parks, all in bite-sized chunks.

Did you know that the spiky tropical durian fruit has a powerful smell that is said to resemble sweaty socks and rotten onions? I think I’ll pass on that one despite its nutritional value.

This, like the previous six titles in the series, acts as a great springboard to further research on topics that capture a reader’s interest. I found myself looking several things up as I worked my way through the pages, including that about clothing with hidden solar panels that can charge a phone battery and the reference to a lady slipper orchid so rare that it’s given its own police guard.

This is one of the spreads that integrates photography and Andy Smith’s (often comical) art. Another is that where a photograph of a place in China where 1437 people participated in the largest ever hide-and-seek game has numerous faces peeping out. Readers will surely enjoy seeing how many they can count.

Back matter includes an index, and a list of information sources. Fun and immersive; it certainly deserves a place in primary school collections.