Information Books/Resources

Discover all of the amazing things that can happen around the world in just one day! You already know all of the amazing things that can happen in just one minute on Earth, so think of what could happen in a whole day! Your taste bud cells are replaced at a rate of 50,000 a day. Almost 40,000 trees are cut down every day just to make paper bags. And a mayfly lives its entire life in a single day. This book is full of fun facts about space, technology, pop culture, food, animals, sports, the human body, and more!

The Royal Dragon of Siam is a treasure lost when a ship sinks off the Isles of Scilly. This is the only mystery never solved by the Famous Five - and here's the opportunity for readers everywhere to solve it themselves, using all the information presented for them by the Five - with lots of useful information on surviving outdoors, too.

For the legions of dedicated Ripley's fans, and anyone else on the planet who loves unbelievable facts and jaw-dropping images, the latest annual in our bestselling series is a feast of delights. Be amazed at a portrait made from 200,000 dead ants, the man who traversed the English Channel by holding onto a bunch of balloons, and the single human hair featuring paintings of all 42 American presidents. A compendium of incredible and bizarre facts, stories, interviews and features, presented in a stunning new design, this book also d... read more

It's amazing how many half-baked notions, crazy rumours from the internet and recycled musty old myths get mistaken for the truth. Many well-meaning people may not realise that what they are telling you is, in fact, complete twaddle. Maybe it sounded convincing to them, or maybe they think it's a useful fact. But sadly, no. Get ready to bust some major myths, such as: Camels carry water in their humps. Saint Patrick was Irish. The cheetah is the world's fastest animal. Goldfish have a 3-second memory. Haggis comes from Sco... read more

The hilarious true story of record breaking attempts, how record obsession has become a global phenomenon, the weird and wonderful characters that set records and the history of the Guinness Book of World Records. Meet Larry Olmsted, a freelance travel and sports writer, always on the hunt for new and intriguing stories. In Spring 2003, somewhere over the North Atlantic, Larry stumbled on an article about the worldwide popularity of Guinness. Inspired by what he read and in a bid to impress his editor, he took the drastic decision... read more

This is a dangerously gripping guide to our perilous planet and beyond warning! Open this book at your own risk. In "Danger!" you will encounter animals armed with sharp claws and killer jaws, deep-sea monsters, poisonous plants, and frogs falling from the sky, not to mention hapless, accident-prone humans you'd be unwise to hang out with. Explore the hottest and highest places on Earth, discover Antarctic wastelands, and consider the end of the world and whether or not it's nigh. Visit the Deadly Diner for a light bite - a slice o... read more

How to do, make and explore just about everything. "How to Do Everything" is a fantastic and unique combination of reference material, fun facts, exciting activities and instructions for life. It covers everything from boiling an egg to making a movie so you'll never be stuck wondering what to do with the kids again. Each activity has special feature boxes that explain the historical, scientific, technological and global significance, making it an up-to-the-minute activity book like no other, ideal for the Internet generation of to... read more

This Kiwi version of 'The Dangerous Book for Boys' is a must for every adventurous boy and girl in the kiwi home and includes all sorts of important information you need to know - like how to make an origami water bomb, how to spot native trees, what to do if you are stranded in the bush, how to play marbles, car games, paper planes that fly, how to make a chopstick trebuchet and much much more! Cleverly illustrated by 14 year old Conrad and written and designed by his dad Nick, this is a must have for every boy and girl.

Welcome to the world of espionage. Inside the cool silver suitcase cover, we turn our magnifying glass on spies, snoops, and spooks throughout history in "The Spy Book". Eavesdrop on the incredible tales of daring, explore top-secret gadgets, and find out why espionage still hits the headlines. Code breakers and safe crackers, spy rings and honey traps, dead drops and lipstick pistols all lurk inside. Confidentially ...kids will love it.

Big Picture series brings the world and its wonders to life for young readers. Full of fascinating information from across the globe, from animals and homes to the most interesting jobs in history.

This BIG title removes the confusion of the abstract by teaching size through eye-catching juxtaposition in "oh wow!" images. For instance, any idea about the size of the mysterious Giant Squid of the deep? Sure, you could read that it's 59.5 ft. long. While that sounds impressive enough, it's a little abstract. However, when you see a full-color illustration of a Giant Squid placed in front of the entire length of a farmhouse, you get a real idea of what 59.5 feet means!

Twenty-two full-colour, full-page spreads convey the quickness (or lack) of the most ordinary things in a unique and amazing way. From the ostrich, the fastest two-legged sprinter on the planet, to the slowest mammal on earth, the sloth. Fascinating facts that may surprise you about animals, birds, vehicles, space, science and our earth.

This book explores in detail the issues of capital punishment. Using real-life case studies to illustrate the topic, the book looks at the historical background to the death penalty and the implications of its use today.

Go on an incredible journey into the most amazing super structures in the world famous fortresses, sensational skyscrapers, awesome bridges and incredible temples: this is an access-all-areas pass to explore the most mind-boggling man-made super structures. From the lost city of Machu Picchu to the soaring Burj Dubai tower, take your child on a close-up look at structures old and new. They'll get a brick-by-brick, rivet-by-rivet insight into palaces and castles, skyscrapers and bizarre buildings, and many other types of fascinating... read more

In "Blood, Bones and Body Bits", readers discover what makes the worst stink bomb ever, why dead people need a haircut and more. "Chemical Chaos" features extraordinary experiments and chaotic chemistry. With fantastic fact files and quirky quizzes, teacher tests and crazy cartoons, this terrible twosome has been revamped and is bubbling over with info. Science has never been so horrible.

There's no mystery about it - codes are hot! Viewers around the world flocked to The Da Vinci Code, Sudoku sells everywhere, and hackers are the new heroes to a generation of coder kids. What's the secret message? The Secrets of Codes brings it all together, from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics to World War II's Enigma machines, to the samurai code of honour, to the brands and trademarks we encounter every day. Filled with lavish illustrations and hundreds of full-color photographs, this all-in-one family reference provides hours of... read more

Suitable for teen readers, this book offers information, quotes from the record holders.

Did you know that squirrels can't see the color red? That Walt Disney, the creator of Mickey Mouse, was afraid of mice? That only 30% of humans can flare their nostrils? Or that every year the average person eats 438 bugs by mistake? Let Mitchell Symons be your guide into the weird and wonderful world of totally useless trivia!

Did you know that humans share a third of their DNA with lettuces? That cockroaches fart every fifteen minutes? And that the average person spends six months of their life on the loo? Irresistably funny facts that will make this book a surefire hit in the playground!

It's big, it's exclusively Kiwi. It contains information on just about anything and everything to do with New Zealand you ever needed to know, wanted to know or even knew you could know. Be warned.... First published 2005.