Popular Science Children's Review - Angry Animals Shuffle Puzzle Book

Home Authors Books Subjects Events Software Features Links Newsletter Gifts Blog Write Review What's New

Review - Angry Animals Shuffle Puzzle Book - Nick Arnold

The publisher of the Horrible Science series, Scholastic, are past masters of using a different format to spice up a book. In this case it's a book about animals where the disgusting alien Slobslime the Snottie and his spotty friend Oddblob the Blurb are touring earthbound animals and getting themselves into messes.

The book has six double pages spreads of which the first five are sliding square puzzles - those sort of two dimensional Rubik's cube things that have one piece missing so you can slide them about and rearrange the picture. Under all the squares but one there's a little snippet of information, while facing the full-page illustration from Tony de Saulles that makes up the puzzle is a page of animal facts. The main pages cover prowlers of the plain, the revolting river, death on the ocean wave, the very wild west and the fearsome forest.

They are entertaining, though I was slightly disappointed that the pictures come unscrambled - I think it would have been more interesting if they started in a scrambled state. I also found the cardboard sliding mechanism a little fragile. I can't help but think that little fingers and a bit of brute force will soon damage them - given the £12.99 cover price, I think they could have run to plastic sliders.

This is an entertaining book, but obviously lacks the narrative drive of one of the usual Horrible Science books, which for me significantly reduces its appeal. I think it would work best in a doctor's waiting room, or in one of those strange time periods that primary schools now have to fill with different activities (with the proviso that I'm not sure it's robust enough), but I can't see it having a huge appeal in the home.

Only in hardback

Reviewed by Brian Clegg

* Our age range recommendation is an estimated guide, but individual readers outside the range could still enjoy the book!

DISCLAIMERS

This site has no connection with Popular Science magazine or other sites and publications with a similar name.

Much of the content of this site is written by popular science writers or friends of popular science writers. Inevitably many of the reviews in such a small community are written by or about someone we know. We always aim to be impartial in our reviews, but there is a connection which we need make clear, as there is no intention to deceive. The content of any review or article is solely the opinion of the author and should not be read or understood on any other basis. The site exists to promote popular science writing and popular science authors and for this reason should be considered promotional material, just as the editorial reviews in an online bookshop or the blurb on the back of a book should be considered promotional.

The website should not be eaten or used where it can come into contact with water.

Disagree with our review? Want to comment on a feature? Contact us at info@ popularscience.co.uk - have your say!

Part of the site