Strange But True!
DK Canada
192 pages
age 8-12
Synopsis from DK:
Strange but True! is an eye-popping collection of extreme, unusual, and cryptic animals, places, and phenomena. Encounter mouse-eating plants, enter the cave of 20 million bats, dip a toe in a rainbow-colored river, discover zombie snails, frozen frogs, and volcanic lightning, and meet snakes that can eat alligators or antelopes. In Strange But True! “fast facts” panels on each spread provide background to the main subject or details of related cases in a stripped-down and engaging style, while the infographic spreads in each section offer even more weird facts and stories while debunking popular strange-but-untrue myths.
Did You Know:
The ancient Cappadocia underground caves once housed cities. Derinkuyu, the deepest underground city, may have housed up to 20,000 people at one point, believed to be a refuge for Christians fleeing Roman persecution.
Did You Know: In search of their favourite berry snack, Tamri village goats in Morocco have been known to climb 30 feet (9 m) up through the berry laden tree to the very top.
Did You Know: When Snapdragon flowers seed pods dry out, they resemble tiny skulls.
I don’t know about your kids but mine love discovering crazy, strange facts. My son especially is adept at retaining these little tidbits of information for his own amusement and also to share to his amazed friends. Strange But True! is a perfect book for the curious mind.
It covers marvels found on earth, antics performed by man, strange plants and curious creatures as well as wonders from nature. The pages are full of eye-catching photography and includes callouts on bits of information kids will find fascinating. No long pages of text here. Little “Fast Facts” boxes highlight digestible knowledge based on the related information covered on the page.
Strange But True! will be one of those staples in your child’s library, tapping into his or her curiosity in an entertaining yet factual way. You’ll find it’s our book pick within the DK Canada Gift Boutique gift guide.
Please leave a comment below letting me know any books your kids are interested in so I can keep them in mind for future reviews.
Additional Reading: How To Be a Genius.
You can find a copy of Strange But True from Scholastic Canada or your local bookstore. Visit our Kid’s Books section for other great book recommendations.