Animal FACTopia!: Follow the Trail of 400 Beastly Facts, written by Julie Beer, illustrated by Andy Smith, and with facts verified the Britannica Group is a children's nonfiction book currently scheduled for release on April 4 2023. Did you know that beavers have orange teeth? Or that some monkeys floss their teeth using bird feathers? Or that one species of bird can walk underwater? Or that alligators stay underwater for longer by swallowing rocks? Or that sea otters use rocks to crack open prey? Interesting facts you might never otherwise know can be found in this book.

Animal FACTopia! is a entertaining, informative, and engaging read. Some of the facts were things I knew, but some were brand new to me. I liked the variety of creatures that are included, and the way the facts are connected together to capture and keep the attention of readers. I thought the illustrations were fun and kept the reader's attention on the page. They were an entertaining and valuable addition to the book. I liked the blend of real pictures, illustrations, and pictures with additional illustration or details added. I also liked that the facts were verified via a valuable and trusted source. Not that I doubt the author in any way, but that extra layer of work means a great deal. In this day when there is so much information available, knowing what is real wand what is just believed with little to no proof is sometimes hard to pin down. There is peace of mind knowing that a children's nonfiction book has that extra work and due diligence put into it before putting a book into the hands of young readers or on a library shelf.

What a fun read. I spent a great deal of time flipping back-and-forth, not to mention chuckling and registering surprise. It's tempting simply to share a list of the facts that got my attention but that would ruin part of the fun for you as you encounter them the first time. I'll simply say that although I never once pondered why most bats sleep hanging upside-down, I now know. I also know that at my slowest, I've got a snail's pace beat, plus what a giraffe and human's neck have in common. It's also pretty obvious why sea otters were almost hunted out of existence at one time for their fur. 

Nope, not telling. You'll have to read the book (or maybe do some series research over at Britannica, which verified these facts). Fun book with lots of colorful, even amusing illustrations at time by Andy Smith as well as photos. A comprehensive index is included for those, like me, who tend to jump around. This will make a great addition to anyone's bookshelves.

Thanks so much for sharing this with me #NetGalley and #BritannicaBooks. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit.

I can't stress how much love the Factopia series. I love anything with animals and thought I was well educated on the subject. I was wrong, I learn so much with every book.
These books are wonderful tools for every classroom and will make wonderful gifts for any animal loving child.

We’ve used this during a school lesson. My son really liked it. Made learning about animals fun and not boring.