Random Illustrated Facts: A Collection of Curious, Weird, and Totally Not Boring Things to Know

by Mike Lowery

A collection of illustrated trivia unlike any other. From glow-in-the-dark cats to Jupiter's diamond showers to the link between dancing goats and the discovery of coffee, here are up to 100 obscure and fascinating facts brought to life in Mike Lowery's quirky, hilarious style. Each illustrated fact is paired with a handwritten web of related tidbits, recreating an entertaining dive down a trivia rabbit hole.

Genres: Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Comics, Art, Trivia, Adult

208 pages, Paperback

Published October 31, 2017

About the author

Mike Lowery is an illustrator whose work appears in everything from greeting cards to children’s books—and Workman’s Kid’s Awesome Activity Calendar. In Doodle Adventures™ – the first series Mike has written and illustrated – he invites readers to doodle along with him and Carl the Duck. Mike shares more of his work at mikelowery.com and @mikelowerystudio on Instagram.

He lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

“To me. I stress through the days with 100 thought in my head and everything can be totally chaos, but when I start to pray, everything turns silent and clear. Because in spite of all this chaos, you remember what really matters. It’s fine because everything has a meaning. Did you for example know that in the brains of cockroaches, there are nine different types of antibiotics molecules that are stronger than any type of penicillin we have today?” “Cockroaches? Seriously? Where did that come from?”

Sana Bakkoush's love for arbitrary science facts stuck with me when I stumbled upon this collection. Just like the title suggests, this book is a completion of random illustrated facts set around history, science, animals, hair, food & drinks, and wraps it up with every day things.

I learned a lot of new information that left me both awestruck and eager to learn more. Plus, the facts in here are all great conversation starters.
However, I do wish that names were used when talking about a specific person accomplishing something instead of saying “X women” or “Y man.” Being more specific (when historically possible) wouldn’t have hurt at all in this collection.

But on a more positive note, here are some of my favorite newly acquired facts:














I hate jellyfish with a burning passion, but even I couldn't deny that their ability to age backwards isn't incredible.






I'M STILL IN AWE.









I have only one thing I'd like to say about the above with the help of a  Raven Boys quote: “Coincidence,” Ronan said, because it wasn’t.”



















All in all: Random Illustrated Facts kept me invested and on my toes from start to finish. And as I mentioned in my previous read, I found the book that reset my hope in humanity (just a little bit, though).

ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication:  October 31st, 2017

3.5/5 stars

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[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Some sharks eat until they throw up, then go back to eating" :D

I'm literally an always hungry shark :D (without the throwup thing)

This book was cute and reading it was so much fun!

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Random Illustrated Facts: A Collection of Curious, Weird, and Totally Not Boring Things to Know is a collection of illustrations by Mike Lowery and handwritten tidbits about the obscure, unusual and simply random. The book is divided into sections covering history, animals, food and drinks, science and everyday things.

After developing an obsession interest with children's non-fiction books last year and borrowing all the new ones throughout the year regardless of topic some from the library, I already knew a lot of these random facts and had absorbed others through osmosis over the years. Apparently my brain clings to useless random snippets of information and in doing so pushes out the stuff I actually need to remember in the process.

This was a quick read. I enjoyed the quirkiness of the illustrations and think this would be a suitable gift book. I can also see these illustrations being used as a basis for an office desk calendar.

I found the writing which tends to slope upwards to the right fairly often distracting until I got used to it, the clutter of words on some pages hard to follow and the smudges on others a bit off-putting, but maybe I'm being overly picky.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley (thank you very much to NetGalley and Workman Publishing Group for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.

[Scarlet Cameo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to accept it, I'm a curiosities freak, which led me to see this book listed in NetGalley and know that I need to read it. I think it's a book goog enough to sprent a pleasant time but, if yo are like me, there's a good chance that you know some of this information but with the plus of the images, which raise it even when you know the data.

The drawing in doodle style really attracted me and it was very cute, especially to accompany a book of fun fats. A fun book to read with children, or to play shots for every fact you didn't know so...fun time for all the family :D.







A digital copy of this book was provided by NetGalley

[Shai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love reading the random facts compiled by Mike Lowery in this graphic novel. Some of the facts are really shocking, for example, the urine facts that was once used to whiten teeth. Another surprising fact is about Hussein anonymously published a romance novel, which is so unlike his character because he is infamous for being a dictator.

As a whole, this compilation is a good way to learn more about other things we are not aware of and a great to entertain ourselves.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

i know these illustrated facts are meant to be random, but a little context would go a long way in this comic collection.

it's a fun little book to flip through. i did learn some curious pieces of trivia, and i enjoyed lowery's choice of subjects. but so many of the "facts" are completely unspecific (i.e. "a man from x once did y"). i want details!! gimme the specifics!!

the knowledge lowery illustrates would feel much more substantial if each lil comic had a half-paragraph explanation below it. without context, all this information is pure fluff.

Thank you to NetGalley and Workman Publishing Company for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest (and belated) review.

[Atlas · Rating 4 out of 5]

* * * *
4 / 5

For pictures, read this review on my blog: http://atlasrisingbooks.blogspot.co.u...

This is an excellent coffee-table sort of book, cram packed with vibrant illustrations and weird and wonderful facts. It's approximately 200 pages long and each page has at least one, but often multiple, fun facts based around a theme. Random Illustrated Facts would make a great gift, but it isn't the kind of thing that I would normally just buy for myself.

The book is split up into sections, so the facts are loosely based around themes: animals, everyday things, history, etc. Whilst I knew a few of these facts - for example, that in 2013 the Mars Rover sang Happy Birthday to itself - there were a lot I didn't know, so it was great to learn a few things. I did look up a couple to confirm their validity, so I'm reasonably confident that the facts in this book are actually true.

The illustrations are cute and the style is consistent throughout; they're detailed doodles, in full colour, and always related to the facts. I didn't give this book five stars because I thought that some of the pages were overcrowded; some of the colours were too jarring and the writing was sometimes difficult to follow if there were, say, five facts on a page and illustrations for each.

Overall, this book is gorgeous and the facts are interesting. Like most books of this type, it doesn't have a whole lot of re-reading value, but it was super cool and easy to read.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.

Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love random facts. While I knew some of the ones included in theses pages, others made my jaw drop. And I mean that literally. These are facts you'll want to share with friends, family, and even strangers who are around you when you read!

[Hristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copy received through NetGalley

I really enjoyed this comic. I liked the illustrations, they’re colorful and full of detail, and no two pages were organized the same way, there was no pattern to them. The random facts are so interesting too! I was so inspired to read up on things. Did you know that ancient Chinese emperors used to hide Pekingese dogs in their sleeves as a last line of defense? That sounds so unbelievable! That is the first fact in this collection, and it sets the tone for the rest, they were all equally entertaining. This book is fun, I think everyone can enjoy it.

[Ish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, I’ve always enjoyed learning new and interesting stuff so this book instantly caught my interest. This book gives you some great facts about topics such as History, Science, Food and Drink and Animals. The illustrations are adorable and funny. Some of these facts I already knew, some I was amazed by. This book can be read by anyone and still be enjoyable whether you’re 5 years old of 50 years old I’m certain you’ll learn something new.

[Taylor (Books&Beanies) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy random, useless knowledge. So this book was perfect for me. Each page is more creative than the last with hand-drawn cute and funny images of what the fact or facts are about. I learned a lot of new things from reading this book that I found really intriguing. The only thing I didn’t like was that some of the facts weren’t as specific as they should have been. Like “so and so did this” instead of just the fact without a specific person.

This book is a quick read and will have you laughing at the ridiculous facts and hilarious drawings. It is nothing less than what the title suggests. I recommend it to anyone who loves random facts and basic useless knowledge.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley (thank you NetGalley and Workman Publishing Company) in exchange for a honest review.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a curious person by nature, and have always loved facts; as a child, I would sit with fact books piled around me, learning as much as I could. I would definitely have enjoyed this more as a child, but liked the approach regardless. My main qualm as an adult reader is that a lot of these facts are not substantiated enough; I would have liked a little more background information for some of them, rather than simply a bald statement. Some of these facts are also not really very 'curious', or 'weird'. Still, it works on the whole, and would make a great gift for a younger fact finder.

Some facts which I found rather fun and interesting are as follows:
- Saddam Hussein published a romance novel, which was later made into a TV series and stage musical.
- Beauty marks were originally tiny pieces of velvet used to cover smallpox scars and acne.
- Ancient Romans saw the unibrow as a symbol of beauty.
- Switzerland accidentally invaded Liechtenstein once.
- During the Second World War, a reindeer briefly lived on a British submarine; it put on so much weight, that it got stuck.
- Earthworms have up to five hearts.
- Giraffes can clean their ears with their tongues.
- A large group of bats in the sky is called a cloud.
- Bees in France who were producing blue and green honey were eating waste from a local sweet factory.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgally.

Like any book about random facts, it's hard to read this without already having known a decent amount of the facts included. Still, there were some things I hadn't heard of before that did inspire me to look them up and learn more. (69 children in one life-span?? The mushroom facts all threw me off, too.)

This was a very easy book to fly through, both because the illustrations were very cute and because the facts themselves were entertaining. If you pick up this book you'll at least learn a thing or two or -if you're like me and get easily distracted- be inspired to look up more random facts to appease your curiosity.

[Stephanie (Reading is Better With Cupcakes) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely learned a few interesting things from this book. Some made me laugh, some made me go "wtf?" and others I knew or found boring. Quite a range really. I didn't find the artwork distracting from the facts on each page either. There were a few I found quite funny, but other times I barely noticed them.

Definitely filled with random information and a good gift to get those that enjoy learning those kind of things!

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come!

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of weird/fun facts.

I love Mike Lowery's drawings and paired with fun facts this is a book that will certainly make it onto my bookshelf.

Thank you to the publishers for providing an ARC of the book through NetGalley.

[Kate (Looking Glass Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book filled with interesting facts. Great way to spend time on a slow afternoon and learn something a little different.

[Mira · Rating 4 out of 5]

These doodle-style books are my guilty pleasure reads. I loved Random Illustrated Facts just as much as for example Adulthood Is a Myth or Deep Dark Fears - what's there not to love? My brain is always in need of new trivia (which I often spend hours and hours searching the internet for). Random Illustrated Facts sums up some of the most interesting, mind-blowing and occasionally disturbing fact I could ever ask for. Now I have enough random facts to bug my friends with for months.

Here are some of my personal favourites:















4 mindblown stars

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for kindly allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Gargi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I've been following Mike's Instagram since ever, and was so happy to see an ARC of the book.

Random Illustrated Facts are just that, random illustrated facts. He's been posting them on the internet for a while, first as an experiment, later, I'm sure, as an obsession. While it is just over 200 pages, I took my sweet time reading this one. What a delight!

[☆Dani☆ ☆Touch My Spine Book Reviews☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank NetGalley and Workman Publishing Company for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate this opportunity.

Publication Date: 10/31/2017

Page Count: 208 Pages

Synopsis: Random Illustrated Facts is an illustrated book that has tidbits of random of information to go along with each illustration. The book has different categories such as; different animals, history and everyday things. It even has information on a glow in the dark cat!

Review: I give this book 5 out of 5 random stars! I read this book with my children and they thought it was a hoot! It was very fun to learn random things and see them laugh about it. I think this book is great if you love trivia and random tidbits. This was a quick read but a fullfilling one!

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers for providing an ARC of the book through NetGalley.

I love the random facts. There were some that I had to look up to check were actually true, but they were and they were really cool! The illustrations were pretty good as well, I liked them, especially the cats.

My major complaint with this book is that the pages are too busy. When there are four facts per page and the writing is in different fonts and sizes, it became very difficult to read the individual facts and it became more of a blur of information that I had to decode. It's good for children because it keeps their attention, but not very good at passing along the information.

[Vellum Voyages · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 helms


Please follow me on my blog :) Review originally posted on Vellum Voyages (www.vellumvoyages.com)

I'm a curious person by nature....I have this insatiable thirst for knowledge and I LOVE random trivia regardless of its usefulness....I just enjoy knowing weird things ok!!! :P Trivia is always a great conversation starter right?! This book had a plethora of fun facts all accompanied with cute doodles! What's not to like!? Fun to read and fun to flip through....I finished it quickly and wanted more.

I'm also impressed with Mike Lowery's interest in facts and scrapbooking at the tender age of 11! He's been doing this since childhood! Wish I was that curious at 11 lol...Buy this if you are a curious person too and love your fun facts, if you need a gift for someone (or yourself!) or just feel like an impulse buy hehe...If you do give into that impulse buy, it will make a great addition to your bookshelf! Enjoy!

*Thank-you Mike Lowery, Netgalley & Workman Publishing Company for the ARC.

[i fall in love book blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely fun book with funny little doodles combined with out of this world facts. I enjoyed this a bite at a time though it would be easy to plow through it in a very short time if one wanted. I think a very wide range of people could love this book as much as I did. It's a joy to look at and very entertaining too. I'm starting a list of gifts to give to people that you don't know what to buy... and this is going on that list.

So many of the facts were so incredible that I wanted to fact check them. I didn't check every one, but from what I did I didn't find any that seemed incorrect. Consider this book if you need a little break in your reading. I certainly enjoyed it.

I received an advance reader copy of this book that I have chosen to review.

[Trinity Irwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

These illustrated facts were quite funny and fun to read. The drawn pictures that were paired with each one really put the icing on the cake for me and I thoroughly enjoyed each one.
It was a quick and easy read that would be great for any age!



I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book Via NetGalley.

[Prathibha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received a copy from NetGalley. The cover page in doodle style caught my eyes. As the title suggests, this book is a compilation of random facts covering history, science, animals, food, and every day things. As it goes with any facts books , you will come across those you already know. Nonetheless it was a fun read and definitely a page turner. Loved the layout and the illustrations in the book.

[Carina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Random Illustrated Facts is a book of, well, Random Illustrated Facts. It is a simple concept but it was done brilliantly!
Most of them were new facts to me and the art is amazing. Simple but amazing. Some of the facts leave you open mouthed!
I really liked this book!

[Irene Lázaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro es perfecto si, como a mí, te gustan los datos curiosos. Conocía algunos pero la mayoría han sido nuevos para mí. Me ha gustado también cómo está dividido el libro de forma temática y las ilustraciones son una monada. Me hubiera gustado conocer las fuentes de la que ha sacado los datos, eso sí.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was utterly delighted when I found this book at my vacation library. I just love Mike Lowery's books, he makes non-fiction very fun and at times hilarious. I love random facts and I had fun reading all these along with the great illustrations! I learned a ton of new things and I shared a bunch with my husband (especially the funnier ones). I hope that Mike Lowery writes more stuff like this!

[Noura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this. The illustrations complimented the strange facts and had me looking up stuff and reading more about them.

Informative and entertaining.

[zahraa al lawati · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Funny, entertaining, intelligent, not boring to death facts, the illustrations were just beautiful, and I very much learned a lot of things from those facts.