Beer, Julie. Animal FACTopia: Follow the Trail of 400 Beastly Facts. Andy Smith, Illus. Britannica, 04/2023. 207pp. Non-Fiction. GRADES 3 – 5. $14.99. 978-1-913750-73-2. ADDITIONAL.
Interesting facts propel this journey through 400 varied tidbits about animals, each somehow connected to the next (sometimes tenuously) as we learn about various animals from around the world and various time periods. Readers follow a trail of one-sentence factoids across colorfully illustrated pages, leaping from one fact to another as the trail winds along the pages. Examples of connections on one page include: staghorn coral’s growth rate leads to pgymy seahorses to “coral reefs are called rainforests of the sea” and then readers are on to a rainforest animal. While not easy to read all in one sitting, the interesting facts and heir connections make for an informative read which is likely to be read aloud and bombard anyone nearby with funny and interesting information. Smith skillfully intermixes pencil˗and˗ink illustrations with photos as the animal facts and illustrations wind their way along. Includes a page of websites consulted by the FACTopia team.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library