Publisher Nosy Crow has teamed up with Cambridge University to bring us a non-fiction book that aims to answer over 200 weird and wonderful questions. The book is written by Mike Rampton and illustrated by Guilherme Karsten and aims to show that There’s No Such Thing as a Silly Question.
What Is There’s No Such Thing as a Silly Question?
This is a book for diving in. There’s no need to read it from start to finish. Jump in and let the fun begin. I could pull any number of questions out of this book to demonstrate how wide-ranging but let’s start with “Why Aren’t The Months the Same Length?”
It appears on the same page as “Why Are There Seven Days in a Week?” and across the book, each page and double page feature questions that are broadly on the same topic. Each one then has a paragraph or 2 that gives the answer.
A random selection of questions includes:
How High Can Elephants Jump?
Should Children Be Allowed to Vote?
Is it Possible to Read Someone Else’s Thoughts?
Who Decided How Music Should Be Written Down?
I could go on, but you get the idea. As somebody who is completely non-musical, the last question is something I’ve often wondered. Music feels like hieroglyphics to me!
Whilst I love that the book is designed to be read from any point, this structure runs the risk of diminishing the book’s use as a reference. After all, there isn’t much point in answering the question of why you can’t sends smells between phones, if readers can’t easily find the answer when they want it.
Fortunately, the book answers “How do I find what I’m looking for?” in a conventional but very helpful way. In addition to a standard index, there is also effectively a table of contents, except it’s towards the back of the book rather than the front. Arranged alphabetically is the “Questions by Subject” section, which lists all the questions related to a topic and tells you where to find them.
The book also has a handy glossary to explain some the books more complicated terms. Words that appear in bold in the book’s text, will be found in the glossary.
Why Read There’s No Such Thing as a Silly Question?
I love books like this. There are fun and accessible way of delivering interesting and useful information. Not only does There’s No Such Thing as a Silly Question prompt readers to look at the world in a different way, it also makes them consider aspects of life they might otherwise have taken for granted. Why, for example, are there so many breeds of dog?
The layout of the book is great and the explanations engaging. All of this is backed up by Guilherme Karsten’s excellent illustrations. You may just have time to squeeze There’s No Such Thing as a Silly Question onto present piles for the holidays. If you do, I’m sure it’s a book that will be being read well into the New Year. If not, pick it up in 2025 and find all the answers to those obvious(ish) questions that you were too afraid to ask!
If you would like to pick up a copy of There’s No Such Thing as a Silly Question, you can do so here, in the US, and here, in the UK. (Affiliate Links)
If you enjoyed this review, check out my other book reviews, here.
I received a copy of this book in order to write this review.
