How Many Spots Has a Cheetah Got?: Number Facts from Around the World; Steve Martin, illustrated by Amber Davenport

Two things I love - numbers and cool and quirky facts about everything. So a read that combines the two was always going to be a hit with me and I know it will appeal to lots of knowledge-hungry children too.

How Many Spots Has a Cheetah Got? The answer…approximately 2,000. Did you know that… the largest box of Crayola crayons has 120 colours? The most expensive birthday cake in the world cost 58 million pounds? 0 caretakers work at schools in Japan because children do the cleaning? How many amazing facts are waiting to be discovered in this book? Hundreds…

Loaded with fun facts and awesome stats about every topic imaginable and all beautifully illustrated by Amber Davenport, this is a fantastic read for curious children. There’s tons to explore and discover through this smorgasbord of mind-blowing numbers. From fairgrounds to art, primates to birthdays, inventions to sports, caves to robots, there’s something for everyone in this brilliant assortment of number-based fun.

Some facts will blow minds, others are almost impossible to imagine, all are seriously impressive and are well worth sharing with anyone who will listen. Personal favourites are the two years it took a parrot to learn its address which came in very handy when it escaped, the twenty billion LEGO bricks that are manufactured each year (of which I buy a fair few thousand), the robot that can solve a Rubik’s cube in three seconds (makes my four minute achievement look embarrassingly slow) and the seventy-three questions that children ask their parents on average each day (expect this to increase significantly if they read this book). 

Incredibly educational, highly enjoyable and very entertaining; How Many Spots Has a Cheetah Got? is facts and figures done right. A marvellous book.

Recommended for 7+.