Tag Andy Smith

Secret Factopia!

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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.

History FACTopia!

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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.

Animal FACTopia!

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Animal FACTopia!
Julie Beer, illustrated by Andy Smith
Britannica Books

You never quite know where your inquisitiveness might take you in this engaging and informative book. And you’ll assuredly find yourself laughing at some of the zaniest zoological facts you encounter, every one of which is verified by Encyclopaedia Britannica and every fact is linked to the next. Herein you will encounter – one way or another – creatures scaly, feathery, furry, silky smooth, from the microscopic to the massive, some friendly and others downright dangerous.

You will discover something about skin shedding spiny mice of the African kind, whistling walruses, purple-blooded peanut worms, blue-tonged skinks and lots more – weird and wonderful animals assuredly.

Coincidentally I came upon examples of bioluminescence three times in a single day: the first in this book:’ microscopic male crustaceans called ostracods vomit glowing mucus’ to attract partners.

Then the topic was mentioned in a David Attenborough programme I watched in the evening as well as in the novel I am currently enjoying.

Were you aware that certain monkeys floss their teeth with bird feathers? I wasn’t; nor did I know that ghost crabs have teeth in their stomachs to facilitate digestion or that Western painted turtles are able to hold their breath for four months. Amazing!
With a mix of photographs and Andy Smith’s cartoonish illustrations this will surely satisfy curious KS2 readers and entertain a great many adults too I suspect.

Gross FACTopia!

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Gross FACTopia!
Paige Towler, illustrated by Andy Smith
Britannica Books

Prepare to be disgusted as you delve into this compilation of foul facts, every one of which is cleverly linked to the next and every one verified by Encyclopaedia Britannica. Should you choose to start at the beginning you’ll find yourself back in 1858 beside the Thames which at that time was clogged with utterly obnoxious smelling human waste so bad Government thought about moving. Follow the smelly trail and you’ll learn that that was not even the worst smelling place on planet earth. That award goes to Seal Island, just off Cape Town and home to 75,000 Cape fur seals whose poo pongs of rotting fish. There’s a whole lot more about poo

and sewers including that back in ancient Roman times, women sometimes used crocodile poo as make-up. To be sure your olfactory lobes are going to be subjected to an onslaught of gross aromas if you let your nose lead you through the pages.

Of course there are many other ways to go depending on your taste – oops! make that interest takes you. Assuredly you’ll find lots of funny things you didn’t know previously on such topics as gastronomic goriness, what seems like sporting stupidity and much, much more, all somehow connected.

Return to Factopia!

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Return to Factopia!
Kate Hale, illustrated by Andy Smith
Britannica Books

This second book in the series that invites readers to choose their own paths is every bit as much fun as the first. Again it’s bursting with informative tidbits (more than 400 facts in all) relating to such diverse topics as libraries, lions and loud things, bees to blood and bananas, and morning to musical instruments (of the unusual kind of course). Did you know that certain bumblebees bite plants’ leaves to speed up the flowering process? I certainly didn’t.

Astonishingly, bananas are naturally radioactive? (You’d need to consume at least a billion in a single meal to receive a lethal dose though.)

Equally weird is that a species of ancient whale had four legs and webbed feet, and that scientists are able to tell the age of a whale from its earwax. I’d love to know how that’s done. Those are just a couple of the weird and wonderful things you can discover about various kinds of whales herein.
Equally astonishing and astounding is that ants have been around since the time of dinosaurs; perhaps even more amazing is that certain fungi are able to control the minds of ants, turning them into zombified insects.

No matter whether you decide to follow a jumpy trail, or read straight through, one thing is certain, you’ll put the book down knowing a multitude of things you hadn’t even thought about before.
Easy to read and engagingly illustrated in a variety of styles by Andy Smith, this clever web of information will assuredly bind you in.

FACTopia!

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FACTopia!
Kate Hale, illustrated by Andy Smith
Britannica Books

Surprising and sometimes humorous are the connections between the four hundred statements found within this cornucopia of facts collected by Kate Hale.

With my love of chocolate, and that large tower spanning the gutter of the book, how could I resist savouring first the information on that spread. I was surprised to read that ‘The world’s largest chocolate bar weighed 2,696 kg’ – about the same weight as four male polar bears.” Wow! Now that would take some eating. However with my vegan sensibilities I was horrified to learn that ‘the average chocolate bar contains some tiny insect fragments’. Where do they come from?

I hastily left the chocolate page and turned instead to the linked spread where I was met with a gaping mouth in the process of consuming birthday cakes and discovered that a world record was set by a man who consumed 6.6kg of birthday cake in eight minutes; I assume he didn’t eat the candles as well. That surely must have stopped him having ‘borborygmi’. I have to admit I had to check up the meaning of this word just to make sure it wasn’t a joke but sure enough it is ‘the rumbling sounds made by a body when hungry’.

As somebody who loves to travel I was fascinated to read about the Potato Hotel in Idaho where the rooms are contained within a gigantic replica of a potato, while in India, the country’s fisheries HQ building is fish-shaped.

There is actually some kind of linking thread running right through this entire book but there is more than one trail through the wealth of facts included so divergent thinkers can choose to follow their own path, or even just dip in and out enjoying the range of topics covered from babies to breakfast and popcorn to pets and pirates.
Andy Smith’s 300+ illustrations are huge fun and add to the enjoyment of this collection of facts for curious children (and the occasional adult I suspect).