Brain-fizzing facts by Dr Emily Grossman

Illus. by Alice Bowsher. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781408899175.
(Age: 5-12 years) Highly recommended. On her website Emily Grossman says 'My aim is to show people just how exciting science is, and to make it more accessible by explaining complex concepts in a fun and engaging way.' Her book, Brian-fizzing facts, meets this aim extremely well, answering those questions many children ask but that adults do not know how to answer, e.g., could thinking make you stronger; which animal has the strongest bite; why does dog urine glow under UV light; and everything you probably never wanted to know about farting but that most kids would love to discover. Her question and answer format is written in very accessible language and is interesting to read and easy to understand. Every page of this book has interesting and fun facts complemented by the amusing illustrations of Alice Bowsher. The format of cartoon-type drawings in greyscale invites the reader to browse the questions and multiple-choice answers that pepper the book. One example I enjoyed gives possible answers to the question Where would you find the strongest muscle in your body? a. Your heart, b. your jaw, c. your calf or d. your bottom. Complete answers to each of these possibilities fill the following five pages with a multitude of facts in a way that draws the reader into the text.
This book would be a great addition to personal as well as classroom libraries. It is a useful reference tool and a good book to pick up and browse at any time.
Jan Barwick