Ripley's Believe It or Not! Wild and wacky edition 2017 by Ripley's Entertainment Inc.
Scholastic, 2916. ISBN 9781338113242
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Crazy facts. Humour. The latest edition of
Ripley's believe it or not looks at crazy facts, and really weird
wonders of the world. It is sure to be an absolute winner with
people of all ages who like to read about strange and wonderful
things and often get a laugh or a sense of amazement about what goes
on in the world. The cover with its vivid face set in a lettuce leaf
and with a pickle protruding from the mouth will be enough to entice
the reader to open up the book and see what is inside.
There is an easy to read and enticing Contents page, with the
headings Extra-ODD-inary Legacy, Entertaining Enterprises, Bend over
backwards, Bizarre World, Funky Fauna, Cross your fingers, and
Culture Collection. An index is also available for those who want to
go back to a particular occurrence. The Extra-ODD-inary Legacy gives
an overview of the Ripley world and how it began, with pictures of
the different spots around the world where Ripley worlds can be
found. The reader is then off to read about the wonderful things
that have been gathered together. I was particularly intrigued by
the little girl who invented ZolliPops, tooth friendly treats and
the creation of cardboard shoes. The picture of a giant African
tortoise being taken for a walk, dressed in a pink outfit also
brought a smile to my face while the photo of the elephant selfie
was amazing.
Interspersed throughout the book are quizzes, which when answered
will send the reader off to sections that may interest them, another
way of browsing according to what the reader may want to read. The
photos are so vivid and interesting that they make the reader want
to read the captions and find out about the wild and wacky things
that are going.
This will appeal not only to reluctant readers but anyone who picks
it up and would make a great addition to a classroom or library and
will give individuals the chance to talk about strange things.
Pat Pledger