The Big Book of Treasures: The Most Amazing Discoveries Ever Made and Still To Be Made

Gr 4–8—In his debut children's book, German soccer journalist Honigstein tackles a different kind of field: anthropology. His study presents 23 "treasures"—cultural discoveries and literal riches—from around the world. Though mostly Eurocentric in its portrayal of history (claims of Columbus "discovering America" the most obvious example), the book highlights a broad swath of curiosities. Readers will learn about golden relics like the Fabergé eggs or the Ark of the Covenant; sunken ships like the Whydah Gally or the Nuestra Señora de Atocha; and other artifacts like the Archaeopteryx and Qin Shi Huang's Terra Cotta Army. Each section ends with a description of where the curiosities are now, as well as a call to action to discover those that have yet to be found. The book is beautifully designed, but the stylized font can be hard to read against Attia's more detailed backgrounds. In general, the mid-century–inspired illustrations—done in almost entirely full-color spreads—are bright and attractive and lend a storybook element to the informational text. The text reads like a junior version of Atlas Obscura—delightful, quirky, and sure to ignite the treasure hunter in all. However, this title lacks a bibliography, primary sources, and other textual elements to give a bit more weight to the wonder.