This book is a conversation starter. Whether you are a parent reading with your kids or someone indulging in their love of trivia, you will enjoy this book.

Säfström is an architect and illustrator based in Stockholm, Sweden.  Her black and white drawings are quirky and fun.

She selects random animals that interest her and chooses a fun and unique fact to share with her readers.

For example, I learned that a polar bear’s fur is clear, not white and their skin is actually black. As if my mind wasn’t sufficiently blown, she goes on to explain why. It turns out their black skin absorbs heat from the sun to help the polar bear stay warm and the clear fur reflects the snow and helps them blend into their environment.

Säfström includes 56 different animals including insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds, marsupials and mammals.

Even the book’s name is a conversation starter. What is a compendium anyway? You can look it up with your kids and then look for synonyms and antonyms. Ask them if they know of anything else that could be a compendium and encourage them to make their own collection of detailed, but concise information about a specific subject. It can be great fun on a cold winter day and will make a wonderful souvenir of their childhood. Who knows it may even help them choose hobbies, books, classes or a future career.

As you read each page, ask your child if they know any other interesting facts about the featured animal.

Admire the drawings and encourage them to draw their own polar bear, tapir or octopus.

Let them make a fun animal collage by downloading free use photos from Wikipedia, PEXELS or PIXABY or for a less messy option, have them make one on the computer and save it to a special file. If you have grandkids, you’ll be amazed by how much they already know about computers and how quickly they pick up new things.

You can look at a few pages at a time or devour this book in one sitting. It’s up to you and your child/grandchild.

You can do these activities even if you are reading this book sans kids. Indulge your curiosity, test your knowledge and get in touch with your creative side by drawing a few animals. I’ll never tell. It’s a great way to keep your mind sharp and maybe rediscover your inner artist.

This book ticks all the boxes. It’s beautiful to look at and the easy to read layout is a pleasing balance of text and illustrations. It’s informative and encourages kids and adults to learn more about their world.

If I were an elementary or middle school teacher, I would use this book in my classroom which gives me another reason to recommend it.  The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts by Maja Säfström is a wonderful teacher gift.

Other books by Maja Säfström include:

Amazing Facts about Baby Animals

Animals of a bygone era, an illustrated compendium

All images were taken from the author’s website for the purpose of completing this review.

For more information about Maja Säfström, visit her website, www.majasbok.se. She has an online store which sells signed copies of her books in English or Swedish, puzzles created from her illustrations and other unique items.