The very well-informed folk at the Natural History Museum in London, complied this clever collection of curious facts based on a plethora of creatures that inhabit planet Earth.
Presented in bright, bold, photography-led glossy
spreads, each entry poses a wild and whacky question then preludes the (often weird)
answer with a highlighted fun fact. Exposition follows in one or two short, easy
to ingest paragraphs which are more fun and quicker to digest than a blowfly
stuck on the arms of a carnivorous sundew plant let me tell you.
Occasional diagrams and illustrations help depict the story of individual species and their whacky and wonderful associations with nature but the true delight lies with the full colour photography, giving young readers an up close and personal perspective of each and every fun fact. Even the moon, as a small departure from planet Earth, is featured in stunning detail.
From mating bed bugs to the full disclosure of
Rudolph the Reindeer’s true sexual identity, this collection not only informs
but is a delight to dip in and out of making it a handy non-fiction classroom
addition or project starter for primary schoolers. The layout, with clear contents
that list each weird question along with a simple index, simultaneously provides convenient
page guides while teaching youngsters the intricacies of using and enjoying
references books.
I loved discovering new unexpected knowledge whilst
consolidating what I already ‘thought’ I knew so can only imagine how little
people interpret the whacky answers to wild questions like: do birds poo or
wee?
Now, back to our ice-confined penguin friends on the
topic of frozen toes or not frozen toes. Well, it’s actually a multi-faceted
answer that you’ll have to discover for yourselves after reading this book. Do
Penguins’ Feet Freeze? is far more fun for accruing trivia-useful,
awe-inspiring, intriguing info than Google will ever be.
The answer, by the way, is not because they wear bed
socks, although wouldn’t that be cool…
Title: Do Penguins’ Feet Freeze?
Author: The Natural History Museum
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Publication Date: August 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781486317820
For ages: 9+
Type: Junior Non-fiction
