Return to FACTopia!: Follow the Trail of 400 More Facts; Kate Hale, illustrated by Andy Smith4/3/2022
I’m a massive fan of little-known facts and random pieces of information so this series of books is right up my street. With its luminous green cover, Return to FACTopia is sure to stand out on the shelves and will grab the attention of many a reader.
Welcome to FACTopia, a land of facts, fun and seemingly impossible connections. Stick to the trail and embark on an incredible journey where facts on honey lead to Ancient Egypt, facts about libraries lead to lions, and vegetable facts lead to astronauts. Don’t like sticking to the path, choose your own route and take a shortcut along the way. Your curiosity can take you anywhere in FACTopia…
Following on from the first book in the series, handily titled FACTopia, Return to FACTopia is four-hundred more impressively connected facts in one fabulous book. This veritable smorgasbord of information is an absolute treat and knowledge-hungry children will more than get their fill. With cool facts on everything from dogs to caves, hats to mirrors, wacky restaurants to the brain, the Northern Lights to sugar and sweets, there is something to fascinate all children in this fabulous fact-filled feast.
If you read the book from cover to cover, following the trail, you’ll find that each fact is connected to the next in one way or another. This is not to say that this is the only way to read and enjoy this book, shortcuts off the main trail can be taken at any time that lead to a connected piece of information located somewhere else in the book. From the desert page you can turn over to a page about ants or you can take one of two shortcuts, one to the the skin, the other to the sun. These connections may sound random but trust me it all makes perfect sense when you’re in FACTopia.
It is just as pleasurable to randomly open the book and see where it takes you. Let’s see what happens…there are craters on Mars shaped like Mickey Mouse, square watermelons grow in Japan, some frogs have heart-shaped pupils, Germany is home to a cat-shaped school and an elephant-shaped skyscraper has been built in Thailand. Facts on each double page spread come under a broad heading, the page I found myself on was cleverly titled ‘Strange Shapes’.
What I love so much about the FACTopia series is the way the information is presented. It is not your typical encyclopedia of information and this is a very good thing. The trail of bite-sized chunks of information is brilliant and the fact that they are all connected is genius. Add to this the engaging page layouts and the vibrant artwork and you have a winning read that will draw readers in and keep them engrossed for hours on end. With its bucketful of weird and wonderful facts, Return to FACTopia will draw plenty of giggles, gasps of disbelief and will have children keenly sharing as many of the facts with as many people who are willing to listen. Loved it! With huge thanks to Britannica Books and What on Earth Publishing for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review. Recommended for 8+.
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