If you think your children would find these facts amusing, then have we got a series of books for you:
- In ancient Greece, citizens sometimes voted using dried beans. This is where the expression “spill the beans” comes from, meaning to tell the truth or reveal a secret.
- Most people in the Middle Ages couldn’t read, so shop signs used symbols, rather than words, to convey what was done. A tailor shop might show a pair of scissors, or a bakery a loaf of bread.
- 22,000 people made the trek across the American West to California in 1849 to seek gold as part of the famous California gold rush. Because of the year, these gold hunters were called “forty-niners,” just like the San Francisco 49ers football team!
- In ancient Egypt, Pepi II, who happened to be the longest reigning Pharoah, was said to smear slaves with honey to attract flies away from him!
- In Colonial America, the famous ship the Mayflower, in a word, stunk! Besides carrying many animals, none of the passengers bathed or changed clothes for 66 days!
- In ancient Rome, Romans had very exotic tastes when it came to food. One elaborate dish included fish livers, peacock and pheasant brains, and a particular favorite: flamingo tongues.
So how many of these facts did you know? If said you knew most of them, you are either very informed or a very good liar!
Now try to imagine children enthralled by these pellets of wisdom and so excited about sharing them with their friends and parents.
The 50 Things You Didn’t Know About series (Red Chair Press), written and illustrated by Sean O’Neill, is a fun and entertaining way for readers ages 7 to 10 to explore a new topic, broaden their knowledge on a favorite subject, or just have a few laughs. The series includes six titles: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, Colonial America and the Old West, each presenting 50 facts ranging from the arcane to the unusual.
These facts go beyond the basics to engage readers with unexpected and amusing insights into a range of historic periods. Colorful, fun illustrations enliven each book while drawing readers into the content.
Was learning ever this fun? While the facts can range from the raucous to the ridiculous, they help children understand many of the day-to-day nuances that people experienced living in these times and places. Naturally, they provide easy and extreme contrasts from the world in which our readers have grown accustomed. The facts also make sure to cover lots of the basics, so children come away with a solid foundation of understanding for the time periods.
The writing, humor and illustrations are clearly tailored to helping curious children dive right into the fun and the learning. A glossary at the end of each book serves as a valuable reference to reinforce and/or clarify some of the terms within.
For an extremely entertaining history lesson about key periods in civilization, we can’t think of a better series than 50 Things You Didn’t Know About. Kids will be running to their friends to share these fun facts – and don’t be surprised if grownups sneak a peek when their little ones are off to bed!
Sean O’Neill is an illustrator and writer living in Chicago. He is the creator of the Rocket Robinson series of graphic novels. Sean loves history, trivia, and drawing cartoons, so this project is pretty much a dream assignment.
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