The World's First Human Cannonball
Mike Barfield
Illustrated by Franziska Höllbacher
Ages 7 to 9
10 April 2025Imprint: Templar Books
Synopsis
Ever wondered what it would be like to be an Incan runner, carrying messages across the ancient Andes at lightning speed? Or perhaps a jester, keeping the royal courts in stitches with your hilarious antics? What about a stage farter? A poo collector? A body double? All these jobs are yours for the taking in history's line-up of the world's oddest jobs.
In this book, you'll encounter a colourful cast of characters who embraced the quirkiest of professions, including the legendary Harry Houdini who defied the laws of nature with his mind-bending magic tricks; Bessie Coleman, the first African-American stunt-pilot; Marie Tussaud who fled the French Revolution and came to London to create wax sculptures; Zazel, a Victorian daredevil who became the first human cannonball; and the amazing story of Samuel Sorensen Adams, inventor of many of the most famous joke shop gags such as sneezing powder, the handshake buzzer and the stink bomb.
This treasure trove of history's most peculiar jobs will leave you laughing, gasping, and wondering what job you'd have chosen in days gone by - and what jobs you might encounter in the future...
In this book, you'll encounter a colourful cast of characters who embraced the quirkiest of professions, including the legendary Harry Houdini who defied the laws of nature with his mind-bending magic tricks; Bessie Coleman, the first African-American stunt-pilot; Marie Tussaud who fled the French Revolution and came to London to create wax sculptures; Zazel, a Victorian daredevil who became the first human cannonball; and the amazing story of Samuel Sorensen Adams, inventor of many of the most famous joke shop gags such as sneezing powder, the handshake buzzer and the stink bomb.
This treasure trove of history's most peculiar jobs will leave you laughing, gasping, and wondering what job you'd have chosen in days gone by - and what jobs you might encounter in the future...
Details
10 April 202596 pages
9781800783737Imprint: Templar Books
Reviews
This colourful, fact-packed, and endlessly fascinating treasure trove of history's most peculiar jobs will leave you laughing, gasping, and wondering what job you'd have chosen in days gone by... and what jobs you might even encounter in the future. Just the job for your curious kids!Pam Norfolk, Lancashire Evening Post
We have loved dipping in and out of the book, opening it up and becoming absorbed in whatever page we turn to. It's brilliantly illustrated in vibrant colour tones, has comic-strip style pages galore and really brings to life the humour and fun of this alternative way of presenting facts to children. There is absolutely nothing not to love about this fabulous fact book and my children adore it.Mini Travellers
Mike Barfield delivers another wide-ranging and well-researched non-fiction book in comic book form.BooksForTopics 2025-2026 Year 3 Group List
