Just recently, I had a dating conversation with someone about Rat Kings. Do you know what a Rat King is? Well, after reading World of Weird, you will, and you'll probably question my dating approach lol. This book is an examination of weird “cabinet of curiosities” put into a semi-fictional format. It explores things like hair wreaths, weird burials, and death masks. It’s short, but reminds me a lot of one of my favorite childhood books, Encyclopedia Horrifica.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

Most kids go through a phase where they have a fascination with this sort of thing. It's the age where we become obsessed with the Guinness Book of Records, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and is probably adjacent to a love of horror. So this book fits neatly into that field of interest. It's a collection of historical oddities, either proven or rumored, with an emphasis on the macabre. The author includes what is known to be true and what is only rumor. The tone is almost gleeful, so this is more of an amusement than a truly informative text. Still it's bound to scratch an itch for young readers.

World of Weird? How about World of Amazement and Awesomeness! Every page is filled with the amazing weird things one can find if they know where to look. This is a great book for young Ripley's fans.

Thank you, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions, Wide Eyed Editions, for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

Oooooh brilliant and spooky stuff, perfect for curious kids.. and adults too! Big thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access it in exchange for my feedback.

This book is perfect for everyone who is into spooky literature. Loaded with interesting facts on a variety of topics.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Adore the cover of this book!!

This book was a visual cornucopia of awesomeness! Packed full of creepy and gruesome graphics and interesting/disturbing facts. Divided into the following sections (Artificialia (art pieces and automata). Naturalia (natural objects, people, and animals), Spiritualis (spirit world), Scelus et Supplicium (crime & punishment torture devices), Scientifica (scientific instruments), Magicae (magic), Morteum (death) and presented in a found journalistic format. If you are a lover of strange, disturbing, dark and bizarre things, then this is a must have for you! 👍🏻👍🏻

Thanks to Netgalley and Quarto for the ARC of this!

My spooky loving 9 year old loved it! This was full of interesting facts, creepy images, and a variety of topics. We read it together for school, and it was perfect for that - nice sized sections gave natural pauses to break, there wasn’t too much text, and it didn’t feel to “schooly”

World of Weird: A Creepy Compendium of True Stories written by Tom Adams and illustrated by Celsius Pictor, It is a compellation of unusual and somewhat creepy artifacts and stories from the past framed as a 21st century a scientist uncovering their Victorian ancestor’s notebook in a box. The ancestor is Dr. McCreebor; an eminent explorer, philosopher, and collector of the very strange and truly creepy. Dr. McCreebor's book is filled with the dark and disturbing stories he has collected on his travels around the world. Discover the fascinating stories behind a series of objects, people, and places in every chapter. McCreebor writes from a Victorian perspective – and his descendant isn't afraid to write notes in the margins, bringing the science into the 21st century. Uncover Artificalia (man-made objects), Naturalia (natural creatures and beings), Spiritualis (the spirit world), ScelereSupplicium (crime and punishment), Scientifica (scientific tools), Magicae (magical objects), and Morteum (skulls, bodies, and more). Steampunk illustrator Celsius Pictor intricately illustrates McCreebor’s sketches, maps, records, and photographs. From shrunken heads to witches’ charms, saints’ blood to graverobbers’ remains, hangman’s salve to trepanning tools, this book is a peek into our grisly and macabre past.

World of Weird is a book that will appeal to readers of all ages that enjoy learning about some of the darker and stranger ideas in history. I did not find any of the stories or artifacts described to be terribly unknown or gruesome, as these are the types of historic nonfiction that I tend to gravitate toward, but some of the information might be new to other readers. I thought the urging of respect for the dead not taking chances in messing with ghosts or other people's beliefs to be very respectful and responsibly handled. I also thought that the text and illustrations were well suited to the subject matter and accessible to a wide range of readers. I found text and art are well paired to keep the readers attention, and are done in nice small subtopics so that no one looses interest of focus and can read the book in small doses if that is what works best for them. I liked that a glossary was included as well. I think this book will see regular check outs in school and public libraries and be a favorite read for many.

A pretty successful early encyclopaedia of the darkly bonkers, ghoulish and unusual, of the kind a learned scientist explorer may once have had in his cabinet of curiosities (this is supposed to be the next best thing, from someone so forward-thinking he never kept anything for himself except records and memories of all he found). Here are specific relics, details of yer actual lizard that spits its blood through its eyes to an enemy, and so on. There are more general looks at things, too, such as spirit photography, mummification and the like.

This is a really good junior Fortean book, even if when it wants to show both the thoughts of people of yore and the current thinking (with the written interjections of the scientist’s modern relative) it can get a bit dodgy. But it’s even able to show me thinks I’d never heard of, namely the ki pit, a Chinese article half ouija board pointer and half spirit writing tool.

With trepanning and torture implements on the page it really gets to be a PG volume, but if you appreciate it not holding back for modern young sensitivities this is a most welcome book. Four and a half stars.

Gather round, ye fans of the strange and unusual!

Join Dr. Leila McCreeber as she gives you a guided tour of her great-grandfather's cabinet of curiosities. Here you will behold preserved body parts, amazing automata, creepy creatures, and all things supernatural and spooky.

This fascinating book features eerily gorgeous illustrations by Celsius Pictor. Though marketed to the 10-12 set, it would also fit in nicely in the young adult section.

There is a glossary, but, sadly - no bibliography. (Perhaps the good Doctor wanted to keep that information a secret.) I'm sure the morbidly curious will be seeking more information about many of the featured objects.

This is a brilliant book all about the weird and quite frankly macabre things from human past! The book begins with a letter from Dr Leila McCreebor, great-granddaughter of Dr McCreebor whose various notes and interesting finds are catalogued in this book. The majority of the book is written by the late Dr McCreebor, with Leila adding notes in various places to clarify something or help make sense of something that we read.

The book is split into seven chapters: Artificialia, Naturalia, Spiritualis, Scelus et Supplicium, Scientifica, Magicae and Morteum with each section containing various interesting things in that area. The first chapter shows some interesting and strange machines that people in the past made, one of the most interesting and creepy is the Tempest Prognosticator which contained leeches trapped in jars which with some special levers can tell you when there’s going to be a storm, apparently. The various different things you can find out about are quite fascinating in a macabre way, but I couldn’t help but love reading each chapter as the different things discovered got more and more weird and creepy as the book went on!

The book is made to look like an old-fashioned journal filled with writing that looks like it’s been typed on an old typewriter and lots of illustrations dotted throughout. Each illustration is very good, adding to the overall creepiness of so many of the different objects and things described. Some of the best illustrations out there have to be the live trepanning and the interesting animal creatures that are shown. Every page and everything I read in this book is interesting and although I’ve heard of some of these things before, like the Egyptian burials and some of the torture devices, there are many I have never heard of before so it made for some fascinating reading and learning.

The things mentioned in this book are not only interesting but they are also very eerie. Some of the most creepy and disgusting things I read about (and found myself weirdly fascinated by) were the snail syrup which sounds horrible (poor snails), the Egyptian toe which sounds like a very clever form of early science, the Mummified cats (which I’ve heard of before but love to read about, and the Brazen Bull which really shocked me when you read the details of what it does as a torture device. Everything in this book is interesting although I have to say the book is quite short and just ends without any real conclusion.

There is a glossary at the end of the book but there is no final conclusion page. The book is about 64 pages in total so not very long but what you do red is interesting and fascinating. It’s a great insight into some of the really weird and creepy things that quite frankly the Victorians, like Dr McCreebor in this book, were interested in, and some of the weird things that throughout history people have created or done. Some are interesting while others are just creepy or shocking, but all of them are very fun to read about and look at. I’d definitely recommend this book to any children (and adults) who are fascinated by our weird history and the macabre things that people have invented or thought in the past.

I initially checked out this book because sometimes juvenile nonfiction described as "weird' is a great way to lure in reluctant readers who want to read about the dark, strange, or unusual. However, troubling depictions of non-Western material culture and customs make this title not one I am interested in adding to our collection.

There is a distinct disconnect between the prose's introductions to each section trying to lure readers in with sentences like "I get a strange thrill from wearing a mask." and then attempting to describe sacred ceremonial masks from indigenous cultures in a respectful way (on a page layout that is meant to be scary). This disconnect means that, despite perhaps some good intentions, the non-Western cultures and materials represented come across as exotic and even bizarre. This is a harmful way to describe another culture, which white American readers will have little to no familiarity with. The creators could have focused on describing macabre European (especially Victorian) traditions and customs, but by veering into the sacred practices and materials of the Global South they have waded into old familiar harmful territory of describing the mundane material cultures and histories of non-Western communities as Other and Strange.

I would not recommend this book.

World of Weird by Tom Adams is a macabre collection of strange stories about all sorts of dark, bizarre objects, people and creatures, ranging from the hand of glory and the iron maiden to witch bottles and sea devils. These are presented as notes made by Dr McCreebor, a (fictional) Victorian explorer and philosopher, with comments from his great-granddaughter - it is quite convincing! The book is filled with fascinating facts and tales, many of which were new to me, and I am sure children will enjoy poring over the pages which are filled with great illustrations by Celsius Pictor.

A collection of weird and wonderful discoveries by a Victorian explorer and philosopher, Dr McCreebor. From art and natural objects to scientific instruments and magic, this book covers a wide range of discoveries. It certainly lives up to its promise of being weird and gruesome and I can see it appealing to many children because of this. I liked the layout of the book and that the discoveries were grouped into different categories. I also liked the idea that it was a collection of notes from Dr McCreebor that had been collated by his great-granddaughter. She has also added her own ‘notes’ in places to further explain or dispute her great grandfather’s discoveries.
I think the short entries about each discovery will appeal to to a lot of children as it makes it easy to dip in and out of rather than read cover to cover. However, I felt that some of the discoveries didn’t have a lot of information about them and I was left wanting more. Overall though, an interesting collection of strange discoveries from the past.

4.2 Stars
Do you want to know about some really dark and disturbing stories from the past? Be it nature’s abnormalities, scientific creations, or works of genius (and wicked), this book is a compilation of some creepy and scary stories from around the world.
Dr. Leila McCreebor finds her great-grandfather, Dr. McCreebor’s notes in the attic and shares them with us in this book. The book starts with a note and is divided into the following categories:
• Artificialia (art pieces and automata)
• Naturalia (natural objects, people, and animals)
• Spiritualis (spirit world)
• Scelus et Supplicium (crime & punishment torture devices)
• Scientifica (scientific instruments)
• Magicae (magic)
• Morteum (death)
The recurring aspects in the book are the human obsession with the dark and the endlessness of cruelty. The death and torture devices are a tiny glimpse into the world of power. There are way too many devices created to punish women. This one didn’t even include the breast extractor device used to torture women accused of witchcraft and later used on the indigenous people during the Portuguese Inquisition.
I know a few of these topics, courtesy of movies (hint: Indiana Jones) and historical fiction novels. Many other stories were new to me. I’m still debating if I should be fascinated by these or worry about human depravity. Oh, well. At least, no one can say we are the worst generation with history like this.
I love the point about not taking the objects home but sketching and making notes. This reminds me of the stolen artifacts in the British Museum. If only there were more Dr. M’s!
On a lighter note, the illustrations are sharp and suit the theme perfectly. The entire book has this creepy, fascinating feel to it. It almost seems like watching a horror movie. ;)
If you love reading about strange, bizarre, and odd stories hidden in the pages of history, pick this one. Kids will like the light-hearted writing style and the illustrations. This isn’t for everyone, though. Some of it is ‘eww’ and not for the fainthearted.
To summarize, World of Weird: A Creepy Compendium of True Stories is an intriguing collection of dark and creepy stories for the brave.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is a very creative presentation of history. It's a blend of archeology and history presented as a journal of writings of an explorer. The illustrations and photographs are engaging and whimsical. I would recommend this for kids who love history, particularly the dark and unusual side of history.
This macabre "journal" presents artifacts and events that are not appropriate for young children, such as spiritual photography and beheading. I would use discretion when choosing it for your child, if your child scares easily. I would say this book is appropriate for 3rd or 4th grade and up.

"World of Weird" will be a fabulous addition to your bookcase, if like me, you have children who love to collect unusual facts and stories. We really enjoyed the fact that the book was set out as an old diary with added amendments by Dr.McCreebor's great-grandaughter. It's a really engaging way to format the book. The range of facts in this book is brilliant from art to animals, science to spirtituality. It's grisley and gruesome in places so probably suited to kids in the latter stages of KS2 and above. It's an enthralling book that you can refer to again and again. We're definitely glad we read it.

Thank you to Tom Adams, Wide Eyed Editions at Quarto Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting compilation of dark and disturbing stories from the past. Not for the squeamish!

Think about all possible morbid and gruesome things/ideas from the past. There are murderous objects such as guillotines, weird processes such as mummification, strange inventions such as divining pencils, and even strange animals such as the blood-spurting lizard. You will find all this and a lot more in this book. The trivia isn’t limited to only the western world but spans the entire globe.

The format of the book is what gives it an edge over any typical collection of weird tales. It is posited as a set of manuscripts written by a famous explorer named Dr. McCreebor and now found in an old crate by his great granddaughter, Dr. Leila McCreebor. Thus the trivia is presented as if it is written on old notebooks, with Dr. Leila’s comments handwritten alongside. I liked the unique presentation, but I felt it was too well done. It seemed so authentic that children might believe the McCreebors to be real people. (Heck, even I am half-convinced they existed!)

All the facts in the book are neatly sectioned, with each set titled by a Latin name such as ‘artificialia’, ‘scelus et supplicium’ (crime and punishment), morteum (death), and so on. Though I have read many books on historical trivia, including the mind-blowing “Ripley’s Believe it or not”, I still found plenty of new content in this collection. I discovered new details about stuff I already knew, and I also learnt a lot about things I had never even heard of before (though I am sure I was better off not knowing a few of those disgusting facts!)

The official target age group for this book is 9-12 years, but I don’t think most of the facts would be suitable for that age range, especially for sensitive children. I feel it will work better with older teens. I read this along with my elder daughter, who happens to be in the right target age group for this title. While some of the details made me queasy, she remained unaffected and found the entire book “fascinating”.

A book worth going for if you are interested in knowing more about the grisly and macabre past of humankind. This would make for a great Halloween gift as well.

4 stars.

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions and NetGalley for the DRC of “World of Weird: A Creepy Compendium of True Stories”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is a strange (see title) book about a variety of weird things and unusual activities. The book is self-described as being for all ages (also 8+) but I do think it appears to be geared towards older children (and anyone with a strong stomach!), either way though, most of the content is relatively kid-friendly. There is mention of the guillotine but otherwise nothing too graphic. The illustrations are creepy and intriguing and the information is detailed but fairly easy to read. The book is separated into chapters and some of the content covered includes: death practice, punishment, magic, victorian times, spiritualism and the natural world. Worth checking out if you know some creepy-loving kiddos! Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a chance to check out this book.

World of Weird is an anthology of true (but somewhat creepy) curiosities gathered and explained by the fictive Dr. McCreebor (Tom Adams) in a manner which will delight all ages. Due out 2nd Aug 2022 from Quarto on their Wide Eyed Editions imprint, it's 64 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is written as a book inside a book - as a journal found by a scientist of his Victorian ancestor's notes and drawings. It's got an engaging and graphically appealing layout and is full of interesting and weird tidbits from natural history, ephemera, and other oddities. Aimed at all ages, it's written in easy to understand language and it's fully illustrated, so kids 8+ will likely find it fascinating. The subjects are presented in a (mostly) age appropriate manner and there's nothing directly graphic or violent.There is a section with implements of torture which is a bit morbid and which will have most kids gleefully interested in bygone torture machines. (I certainly was at that age and even made a model of an iron maiden for a school project which horrified everyone).

The entries are gathered thematically into chapters: mechanical items, natural world, spiritualism in Victorian times, crime and punishment, magic, and death practices. The author has included a glossary, but the book lacks an index or bibliography.

The book is illustrated in an antique style with electronic line drawn images and clip-art graphics by "Celsius Pictor". The drawings are engaging and retro/antique looking. The type is high contrast and easy to read.

Four stars. This is the kind of book the majority of kids will find fascinating. It might be a bit much for sensitive readers. For that reason, I would encourage a thorough reading on the part of library acquisition committees before adding to their juvenile library collections. It's otherwise weird and quirky and I recommend it.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.