Published by Britannica Books, an imprint of What on Earth Books, 2023.

I love an infographic! Often the clearest way to convey information is via a visual representation. Certainly for me, personally, I find it really helpful to represent information visually in order to process it. I’ll often draw a diagram or a picture to clarify my thoughts and understanding about something.

Infographica takes visual representation of facts and figures to the next level. This authoritative visual encyclopedia reveals astonishing information about space, Earth, animals, humans and technology through 200 specially commissioned infographics, including maps, graphs, charts and timelines. It makes it easy to grasp ideas, make comparisons and understand scale and significance.

Each chapter introduces us to the expert who’s been consulted on this particular section of the book. There’s a mini interview with them and it’s super fascinating to read about the type of jobs they have. I think these insights could really open children’s eyes to possible future careers.

Infographica contains a real wealth of information and it’s such fascinating content. Time and time again I found my mind being blown: one in every four known species on earth is a beetle; there are 163,440 earthworms on Earth for each human; and 10,700 plastic bottles enter the ocean every second. My son and I were amazed to learn that there are now more Lego minifigures on Earth than there are humans! I was absolutely terrified to discover that there’s a Japanese spider crab whose leg span is longer than the length of a entire polar bear.

Frankly there were some facts I could have done without knowing… We learn how many cups of snot your body makes in a day; the seven types of poo; and how long your nails would grow in your lifetime if you never cut them. Nevertheless, this is no doubt exactly the sort of content children are here for!

Seeing information presented visually really heightens its impact. The infographic of the pie that’s used to demonstrate global wealth distribution starkly demonstrates wealth inequality. The dramatic impact of global warming is undeniable in the infographic showing the change in Earth’s temperature since 1850. Having information about relative size and scale presented side-by-side makes comparisons really easy (largest animals; fastest animals; animal lifespans; global population density etc).

Infographica, with its stunning infographics and striking colour photography, encourages us to marvel at the world around us and is a real treasure trove of a book.

Rating: 💙💙💙💙💙

Suitable for children aged 8+

Thank you to What on Earth Books for sending me this book to review.