An enthralling and hilarious journey through global history in 400 connected facts! In this blast-from-the-past adventure you’ll discover hundreds of the most mind-blowing facts from history. Hidden tombs, ghostly ships, boiled vipers, samurai warriors, snow machines, pet lions, hidden pyramids, secret codes, flaming fireballs, wooden bathing suits, sparkling jewels, and many more are all woven together in this ingenious web of connected facts. And there isn’t just one trail through these facts. Sometimes your path branches, and you can choose to fast forward or rewind to a completely different (but still connected) part of history. Where will your curiosity take you? Includes an index. Selected for Reading Rockets’ Holiday Gift Guide 2023 . Highly recommended, especially for kids who love informational reading" - Imagination Soup "The colorful illustrations, pictures, and diagrams show readers things they could never have imagined otherwise." - Youth Services Book Review Four hundred facts populate the pages of this book, chock full of colorful, engaging illustrations that will enchant any reader, young and old alike.” - YA Books Central “Towler and Smith team up to provide middle-grade readers with another quirky, fun, and fascinating trivia romp through history." - Children's Literature-CLCD "While the facts themselves are great, what will make this book truly engaging for children is the art." - Pudget Sound Council for Reviewing Children's and Young Adult Literature Praise for the FACTopia ! series: “Free association rules in this gathering of hundreds of facts about science, technology, and the natural world.” Kirkus Reviews "The colorful illustrations, pictures, and diagrams show readers things they could never have imagined otherwise." Youth Services Book Review "The facts are both funny and interesting." Kids' BookBuzz "Interesting facts propel this journey through 400 varied tidbits about animals." Association of Children's Librarians of Northern California “The trail of interconnected facts is a small piece of genius.” Robin Brooks, GeekDad “This is a new favorite nonfiction series that belongs on your bookshelves!” Imagination Soup “We can’t get enough of these books! Filled with fun facts, silly science, and great illustrations, follow the trail of facts on each page to learn a little bit about EVERYTHING!” Big Books for Little Hands Paige Towler is an author and editor based in Washington, D.C. A former editor for National Geographic Kids Books, she writes poetry about animals doing yoga and weird facts about the world. Britannica Group is a global education leader with over 250 years of dedication to seeking out facts and providing insight into the mysteries of the universe. Its beloved Encyclopaedia Britannica is the world’s oldest English-language general encyclopedia, first published in 1768 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Today, Britannica continues to create innovative and engaging learning experiences through books, digital content and educational tools. Over three thousand expert contributors have helped make Britannica what it is today, including former U.S. presidents, professional athletes, Nobel laureates, and Pulitzer Prize winners. Britannica’s mission to inspire curiosity and the joy of learning helps build the world’s future thinkers and innovators. They are based in Chicago, Illinois. Andy Smith is an award-winning illustrator, and studied illustration at the University of Brighton and the Royal College of Art, UK. His work combines illustration and typography to create images that have humor, energy, and optimism executed with a handmade, hand-printed, tactile feel. He lives by the sea in East Sussex, UK.