Creepy Creatures

Review also includes:

Alien Encounters, 978-1849417143

Ancient Treasures, 978-1849417140

Weird Waters, 978-1849417129

For those who like their non-fiction served up with the gusto and bravura of a Top Gear presenter, then this series of mystery books could just hit the spot.  Richard Hammond, TV presenter of a number of science-based programmes in addition to Top Gear, delivers the facts in typically ebullient and enthusiastic style, full of exclamation marks and with plentiful questions (‘Guess what?) and confidential asides (‘I don’t know about you but…’) sprinkling the text.  But it works!  The tone is direct and fast-paced, drawing in the reader with invitations to gather clues and help solve the mystery.  Four separate titles cover popular mystery topics that range across ancient history and archaeology, history, the natural world, science and all things weird and wonderful from mermaids and werewolves to crop circles and UFOs.  But aside from all the ghee-whizz facts, there is solid information and quite detailed history, for example of the Conquistadores in the legend of El Dorado in Ancient Treasures, while the volume Weird Waters includes detailed explanation of meteorology and oceanography in the chapter on the Bermuda Triangle.  Throughout the books the pages are enlivened by artwork, cartoons, photos, maps and fact boxes.  For each of the mysteries, whether it is the disappearance of the Marie Celeste or the hunt for the Yeti, Hammond sets out the mission, details the purpose of the mission, the location, evidence, and offers a number of possible explanations or theories, leaving the reader to make the final decision.  It’s a good discipline for children to use in critical thinking and problem solving.  A single volume hardback bind-up Great Mysteries of the World is also available from Bodley Head.