A Compendium of Curious Contraptions
Anna Goldfield, Neon Squid
Illustrated by Paula Zamudio
18 September 2025Synopsis
An illustrated guide to some of the most bizarre objects from history by archaeologist Anna Goldfield, including a guessing game for kids to play!
Each page contains a mystery item from the past, with a set of clues as to what it was used for. Readers can take a guess before unfolding a giant flap to reveal the answer. Without giving too much away, the book contains Inuit snow goggles, designed to protect eyes from the blinding glare of the ice, an ancient Chinese earthquake detector featuring several metal frogs, and err.. the Royal fistula – an item used to perform delicate surgery on the rear end of King Louis XIV of France.
Kids will delight in trying to work out the purpose of the beautiful objects, brought to life by Mexican illustrator Paula Zamudio, and will learn a lot about the cultures that created them – from ancient Rome to Polynesia, and Mesopotamia to Viking Scandinavia.
Details
18 September 2025
9781916745032Reviews
"Young readers can practise being archaeologists with this collection of enigmatic objects from history... Once they’ve made their guess, readers can lift a flap to find the answer, such as an ancient Roman oil lamp or an ancient Chinese earthquake detector. This interactive nonfiction offering turns STEM into high-interest detective work."
Drawing on historical objects from a range of places and times, this lift-the-flap exploration of history’s mysteries is a quirky, engaging read... For those who enjoy random facts, bite-sized information, and occasionally gross history, this book will offer them even more fuel for their curiosity... A must-purchase text for history sleuths as well as for general use in schools or in classroom library reference collection.
The selection of items is excellent, and the information about them expansive. We’re never too old for guessing games or lift-the-flap books, and here we also enter vividly into the realm of global cultures... An absorbing trip through an eclectic, fascinating museum of mostly ancient inventions.
