Exploding Beetles and Inflatable Fish: A World of Animal Weirdness

by Tracey Turner

Enter the hilarious world of Sam Quigley, the strange-fact-obsessed owner of two stick insects called Twiggy and Wiggy in Exploding Beetles and Inflatable Fish .

Sam really likes interesting facts, the kind that will make you shout "Wow! I never knew that". Things
- Woodlice don't wee – instead a smelly gas comes wafting out of their shells
- There is a fish with a stomach so stretchy it can swallow things twice as big as itself
- Bombardier beetles can explode like toxic water pistols!

Written by Tracey Turner, this STEM-focused book is packed with incredible facts and stats about the world’s weirdest animals. With a narrative that will have readers hooked, plus cool cartoon-style illustrations by Andrew Wightman, it’s a perfect book for fact fans, animal lovers and reluctant readers alike.

Paperback

Published May 13, 2021

About the author

Tracey Turner is a former editor and author of many non-fiction books for children, including Hodder's Disgusting Dictionary and titles for the Dead Famous series. Tracey lives in South London.

Reviews

[Evy Danckers]

I've read this book in Dutch (Ontploffende kevers & opblaasbare vissen: fantastische dierenfeiten).

I like the concept of this books: non-fiction facts in a fiction story. Perfect for me as I'm not a big fan of non-fiction. The facts are interesting, fun, and funny. Right down the alley of the target audience. But... I didn't like the lay-out. Too much of everything which made the overall look and feel messy. So many things were trying to catch my attention that I had a hard time reading the actual words.

Sadly, I won't come back for more.

[Susanne]

A great light read with interesting facts and a lovely art-style.