Spot the Mistake:Lands of Long Ago by Amanda Wood and Mike Jolley

illustrated by Frances Castle

"Would a Mayan warrior have worn a watch? Would a Viking have used a compass? Test your knowledge of history and spot 20 mistakes in every scene. Then, turn the page to discover if you were right and learn more fun facts about ancient civilisations, including the Ancient Greeks, the Ancient Egyptians, the Romans, the Mayans, the Vikings, and many more!"

review by Maryom

I know I'm not the target reader but I love this book!
It's split into ten sections, each covering a different period of time from the prehistoric Stone Age through the ancient civilisations of Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and central America to Medieval Knights, Vikings, the Mughal Empire in India and seventeenth century Caribbean Pirates just like Jack Sparrow! For each time period there's a double-page spread showing typical activities BUT there are mistakes. In each picture are twenty things which do not belong, and which the reader has to spot.
Now, I always find that there's something about a 'spot the mistake' game that drags me in, so obviously I had to try and spot them. Some were obvious - there were no cameras in Ancient Greece, and pirates didn't play on the beach making sandcastles - but there were some I didn't know - no chickens in Neolithic Britain or carrots in the time of the Pharaohs - and some sneaky ones that I couldn't find. Maybe you need sharper eyes than mine, but if you don't spot every mistake, don't worry; the answers are given on the next page, along with more interesting facts about the time period.

Every page has bright, colourful illustrations, and while children are looking at tham and trying to spot all the mistakes, they'll be learning about the past without really realising.



Publisher - Wide Eyed Editions
Genre - Non-fiction, history, children's 7+

Creaturepedia by Adrienne Barman

Review by The Mole

Evolution has blessed all animals in the animal kingdom with at least one special skill to help them survive. This book, containing 216 pages, features multiple creatures on each page that share a skill and so classifies over 600 different species according to their specialisation.

There are those that are very large, those that are very small, those have long necks, those that are fast, those that are domesticated, those that we still fear plus many more classifications. It also explains how that skill helps the animal survive.

It could so easily be packed with words but instead is packed with simple colour illustrations and short captions to each creature making it quick, easy, entertaining but educating at the same time.

Chosen by the Bookseller as a book of the month it was described as "... well-pitched for younger children..." - and when they keep bringing it for you to "look at this" you may well be educated and fascinated too.

A really beautiful hardback book that will entertain for many hours.

Publisher - Wide Eyed Editions
Genre - Children's picture book

Atlas of Adventures - illustrated by Lucy Letherland

Review by The Mole

The world is a much smaller place than the world of 50 years ago, a time when I remember books of this type adorning my "bookshelf". The articles in this book are things that many readers will actually have chance to travel the world to see in their lifetime - and these adventures are accessible to travellers the world over.

Beautifully illustrated with plenty of colour, the pages are packed with short sharp facts that make each page easily readable by the young and less intimidating than the books of my generation.

See London from the London Eye, or the Northern Lights from a glass igloo in Finland, or Monarch butterflies by their million in Mexico. Visit a festival in Hong Kong, or a horse parade in Spain, or just put your feet up and watch penguins in the Antarctic. Sights, sounds and experiences the world over are here to tempt you.

If, like me, international travel is not your thing then you can use search engines and websites to "visit" many of these places from the comfort of home.

A truly delightful book that children will love but you may just find yourself looking at your annual holidays differently.

Publisher - Wide Eyed Editions
Genre - Non-fiction, travel, children's 7+