My book review of 'Everything Under the Sun' by Molly Oldfield

by Molly Oldfield
Recommended age: 6+
Everything Under the Sun
by Molly Oldfield

With a cover the colour of blue velvet, glistening with gold and alive with autumnal leaves and fireworks, this is a beautiful book for a seasonal gift! It's heavy with information and vibrant with colourful and cheerful illustrations.

There are 366 questions in this book, collated from a podcast run by Molly Oldfield, an original elf for the hugely successful fact-based tv quiz show 'QI'.

Each question, one for every day of the year (plus one), was submitted by children, and they've been answered, often by familiar names or experts, in a short, pithy format supported by bold imagery.

The famous chef Heston Blumenthal explains why you taste things differently when you have a cold. Experts from  the Natural History Museum describe the biggest dinosaur and Benjamin Zephaniah ponders what might happen if we didn't have a prime minister...

The illustrations are simple, colourful and attractive, though suggest a younger age group than the content, I felt. However this book has wide-ranging appeal - from the curious pre-schooler to their ever-interested grandparent.

Date of this review: October 2021
Book publication date: 9th September 2021