Molly Oldfield – författare

The Secret Museum is a unique treasure trove of the most intriguing artifacts hidden away in museum archives from all over the world – curated, brought to light, and brought to life by Molly Oldfield in a beautifully illustrated collection.Who knows what’s hidden from view? Locked away in cabinets, secure storage and aircraft hangars.Most of a museum’s collection never gets seen. It sits in the quiet dark of an archive waiting for a treasure hunter or obsessive researcher to root out its very existence. Under the streets of Manhattan priceless books are shelved; brick outbuildings in London’s East End house drawers of Victorian embroidery remembering foundlings long ago dead; body bags in Washington clothe space suits covered in real moon dust and in an unvisited aircraft hangar sits Auguste Piccard’s extraordinary invention, the balloon gondola…This and many other extraordinary inventions, legacies, discoveries and artefacts have been visited and curated by Molly Oldfield into a Secret Museum. Rich in atmosphere and anecdote, suffused with the surprising emotion of a personal discovery, but grounded in fascinating factual detail, this is a unique and beautifully illustrated book.The Secret Museum reveals sixty unknown artefacts and stories from all five continents, from Rome to Rio and Boston to Berlin. And like the very best mornings spent at a museum it promises to be idiosyncratic, surprising and enormously good fun.The Artefacts in the book include: An original Gutenberg Bible printed on vellum, Harrison Schmitt’s Space Suit, A piece of Newton’s Apple Tree, Van Gogh’s Sketchbooks, The original drawings of Wimbledon’s Centre Court, Dickens’ letter opener,Three pieces of Mars, and much more…

The Secret Museum is a unique treasure trove of the most intriguing artifacts hidden away in museum archives from all over the world – curated, brought to light, and brought to life by Molly Oldfield in a beautifully illustrated collection.Who knows what’s hidden from view? Locked away in cabinets, secure storage and aircraft hangars.Most of a museum’s collection never gets seen. It sits in the quiet dark of an archive waiting for a treasure hunter or obsessive researcher to root out its very existence. Under the streets of Manhattan priceless books are shelved; brick outbuildings in London’s East End house drawers of Victorian embroidery remembering foundlings long ago dead; body bags in Washington clothe space suits covered in real moon dust and in an unvisited aircraft hangar sits Auguste Piccard’s extraordinary invention, the balloon gondola…This and many other extraordinary inventions, legacies, discoveries and artefacts have been visited and curated by Molly Oldfield into a Secret Museum. Rich in atmosphere and anecdote, suffused with the surprising emotion of a personal discovery, but grounded in fascinating factual detail, this is a unique and beautifully illustrated book.The Secret Museum reveals sixty unknown artefacts and stories from all five continents, from Rome to Rio and Boston to Berlin. And like the very best mornings spent at a museum it promises to be idiosyncratic, surprising and enormously good fun.The Artefacts in the book include: An original Gutenberg Bible printed on vellum, Harrison Schmitt’s Space Suit, A piece of Newton’s Apple Tree, Van Gogh’s Sketchbooks, The original drawings of Wimbledon’s Centre Court, Dickens’ letter opener, Three pieces of Mars, and much more…

How much bamboo can a giant panda eat?Do aliens exist?What we would do if we didn't have a prime minister?Why do hammerhead sharks have such strange-shaped heads?Find out the answers to these curious questions and much, much more!Ponder where ideas come from with award-winning illustrator, Rob Biddulph. Find out why you taste things differently when you have a cold with Michelin star chef, Heston Blumenthal. Learn about everything from how astronauts see in the dark to what the biggest dinosaur was with experts from the Natural History Museum.Fascinating facts are accompanied by gorgeous illustrations making the perfect gift for Christmas. Whether you read a question a day, or dip into it whenever you are feeling curious, this is a book to treasure and share all year round.Illustrated by Momoko Abe, Kelsey Buzzell, Beatrice Cerocchi, Alice Courtley, Sandra de la Prada, Grace Easton, Manuela Montoya Escobar, Richard Jones, Lisa Koesterke, Gwen Millward, Sally Mullaney, and Laurie Stansfield.

"The only thing better than the questions, in this delightful and informative book, is the answers." - Neil Gaiman"This book is GLORIOUS. It's heart-and-soul fabulous, page after page." - Stephen Fry"One of the best kids books I have ever had the pleasure of reading" - Pandora Sykes"This book is heaven on a stick" - Sophie DahlA wonderful new paperback edition of 366 curious questions asked by children from around the world, based on the award-winning podcast by original QI Elf, Molly Oldfield. How much bamboo can a giant panda eat?Do aliens exist?What we would do if we didn't have a prime minister?Why do hammerhead sharks have such strange-shaped heads?Find out the answers to these curious questions and much, much more!Ponder where ideas come from with award-winning illustrator, Rob Biddulph. Find out why you taste things differently when you have a cold with Michelin star chef, Heston Blumenthal. Learn about everything from how astronauts see in the dark to what the biggest dinosaur was with experts from the Natural History Museum.Fascinating facts are accompanied by gorgeous illustrations making the perfect gift for Christmas. Whether you read a question a day, or dip into it whenever you are feeling curious, this is a book to treasure and share all year round.Illustrated by Momoko Abe, Kelsey Buzzell, Beatrice Cerocchi, Alice Courtley, Sandra de la Prada, Grace Easton, Manuela Montoya Escobar, Richard Jones, Lisa Koesterke, Gwen Millward, Sally Mullaney, and Laurie Stansfield.Praise for Everything Under the Sun:"Trivia fans will relish Everything Under the Sun" - The Guardian"A brilliant book for any child, but particularly those who don't love reading stories" - David Walliams"A wonderful gift for families" - Evening Standard"A wonderful collection of 366 curious questions about everything from science to nature, dinosaurs to space" - Scottish Sun"Simply mesmerising compendium" - Waterstones"As cute as it is educational" - Babyccino Kids "This is a book to treasure all year round" - My Baba"An absolute delight" - David Walliams

Following her first book of questions, Everything Under the Sun, award-winning podcast host Molly Oldfield once again delights readers with this new, beautifully illustrated book answering 366 curious questions asked by children from around the world. How were rollerskates invented?How do boats float?Do snails go upside down?Where is the happiest place in the world?Find out the answers to these curious questions from children from all around the globe.Ponder about why we daydream with author and illustrator, Lauren Child. Find out if people can mind read with magician, Derren Brown. Learn about everything from wormholes in spacetime to how frogs jump with expert scientists.Illustrated by talented, international artists: Folasade Adeshida, Neil Badenhorst, Belinda Chen, Sophie Escavy Lim, Marta Antelo, Fernando Martin, Juliana Eigner, Andrés Landazabal, Henry Rancourt, Francesca Tiley, Daniel Gray-Barnett, Meg RenniePraise for Everything Under the Sun:'Trivia fans will relish Everything Under the Sun' - The Guardian"A wonderful gift for families" - Evening Standard"This is a book to treasure all year round" - My Baba"As cute as it is educational" - Babyccino Kids "A wonderful collection of 366 curious questions about everything from science to nature, dinosaurs to space" - Scottish Sun "Simply mesmerising compendium" - Waterstones"A beautiful gem of a book" - BookTrust"Fascinating for anyone who opens it" - Red magazine"The only thing better than the questions, in this delightful and informative book, is the answers" - Neil Gaiman"This book is GLORIOUS. It's heart-and-soul fabulous, page after page" - Stephen Fry"One of the best kids books I have ever had the pleasure of reading" - Pandora Sykes"This book is heaven on a stick" - Sophie Dahl

Following her first book of questions, Everything Under the Sun, award-winning podcast host Molly Oldfield once again delights readers with this new, beautifully illustrated book answering 366 curious questions asked by children from around the world. How were rollerskates invented?How do boats float?Do snails go upside down?Where is the happiest place in the world?Find out the answers to these curious questions from children from all around the globe.Ponder about why we daydream with author and illustrator, Lauren Child. Find out if people can mind read with magician, Derren Brown. Learn about everything from wormholes in spacetime to how frogs jump with expert scientists.Illustrated by talented, international artists: Folasade Adeshida, Neil Badenhorst, Belinda Chen, Sophie Escavy Lim, Marta Antelo, Fernando Martin, Juliana Eigner, Andrés Landazabal, Henry Rancourt, Francesca Tiley, Daniel Gray-Barnett, Meg RenniePraise for Everything Under the Sun:'Trivia fans will relish Everything Under the Sun' - The Guardian"A wonderful gift for families" - Evening Standard"This is a book to treasure all year round" - My Baba"As cute as it is educational" - Babyccino Kids "A wonderful collection of 366 curious questions about everything from science to nature, dinosaurs to space" - Scottish Sun "Simply mesmerising compendium" - Waterstones"A beautiful gem of a book" - BookTrust"Fascinating for anyone who opens it" - Red magazine"The only thing better than the questions, in this delightful and informative book, is the answers" - Neil Gaiman"This book is GLORIOUS. It's heart-and-soul fabulous, page after page" - Stephen Fry"One of the best kids books I have ever had the pleasure of reading" - Pandora Sykes"This book is heaven on a stick" - Sophie Dahl

"The only thing better than the questions, in this delightful and informative book, is the answers." - Neil Gaiman"This book is GLORIOUS. It's heart-and-soul fabulous, page after page." - Stephen Fry"One of the best kids books I have ever had the pleasure of reading" - Pandora Sykes"This book is heaven on a stick" - Sophie DahlA wonderful new paperback edition of 366 curious questions asked by children from around the world, based on the award-winning podcast by original QI Elf, Molly Oldfield. How much bamboo can a giant panda eat?Do aliens exist?What we would do if we didn't have a prime minister?Why do hammerhead sharks have such strange-shaped heads?Find out the answers to these curious questions and much, much more!Ponder where ideas come from with award-winning illustrator, Rob Biddulph. Find out why you taste things differently when you have a cold with Michelin star chef, Heston Blumenthal. Learn about everything from how astronauts see in the dark to what the biggest dinosaur was with experts from the Natural History Museum.Fascinating facts are accompanied by gorgeous illustrations making the perfect gift for Christmas. Whether you read a question a day, or dip into it whenever you are feeling curious, this is a book to treasure and share all year round.Illustrated by Momoko Abe, Kelsey Buzzell, Beatrice Cerocchi, Alice Courtley, Sandra de la Prada, Grace Easton, Manuela Montoya Escobar, Richard Jones, Lisa Koesterke, Gwen Millward, Sally Mullaney, and Laurie Stansfield.Praise for Everything Under the Sun:"Trivia fans will relish Everything Under the Sun" - The Guardian"A brilliant book for any child, but particularly those who don't love reading stories" - David Walliams"A wonderful gift for families" - Evening Standard"A wonderful collection of 366 curious questions about everything from science to nature, dinosaurs to space" - Scottish Sun"Simply mesmerising compendium" - Waterstones"As cute as it is educational" - Babyccino Kids "This is a book to treasure all year round" - My Baba"An absolute delight" - David Walliams

Can you answer 366 curious questions from children all around the world? Quiz your friends and family and discover fascinating facts about our world and beyond!Which animal has the most eyes? (Scallops have 200 eyes!)Why is blue cheese stinky? (Because it is full of mould!)Why do we have eyebrows? (To protect our eyes help us express ourselves!)All 366 multiple choice questions are accompanied with interesting facts and are gorgeously illustrated throughout, making this the perfect gift for Christmas.Whether you try a question a day, or dip into it whenever you are feeling curious, this is a book to enjoy and discover all year round!Based on the award-winning podcast, and original book by Molly Oldfield, Everything Under the Sun.

Can you answer 366 curious questions from children all around the world? Quiz your friends and family and discover fascinating facts about our world and beyond!Which animal has the most eyes? (Scallops have 200 eyes!)Why is blue cheese stinky? (Because it is full of mould!)Why do we have eyebrows? (To protect our eyes help us express ourselves!)All 366 multiple choice questions are accompanied with interesting facts and are gorgeously illustrated throughout, making this the perfect gift for Christmas.Whether you try a question a day, or dip into it whenever you are feeling curious, this is a book to enjoy and discover all year round!Based on the award-winning podcast, and original book by Molly Oldfield, Everything Under the Sun.

Brought to you by Ladybird.A wonderfully global collection of 366 curious questions asked by children from around the world, based on the award-winning podcast by Molly Oldfield.How were rollerskates invented?How do boats float?Do snails go upside down?Where is the happiest place in the world?Find out the answers to these curious questions from children from all around the globe.Ponder about why we daydream with author and illustrator Lauren Child. Find out if people can mind read with magician, Derren Brown. Learn about everything from wormholes in spacetime to how frogs jump with expert scientists.Praise for Everything Under the Sun:'Trivia fans will relish Everything Under the Sun' - The Guardian"e;A wonderful gift for families"e; - Evening Standard"e;This is a book to treasure all year round"e; - My Baba"e;As cute as it is educational"e; - Babyccino Kids "e;A wonderful collection of 366 curious questions about everything from science to nature, dinosaurs to space"e; - Scottish Sun "e;Simply mesmerising compendium"e; - Waterstones"e;A beautiful gem of a book"e; - BookTrust"e;Fascinating for anyone who opens it"e; - Red magazine"e;The only thing better than the questions, in this delightful and informative book, is the answers"e; - Neil Gaiman"e;This book is GLORIOUS. It's heart-and-soul fabulous, page after page"e; - Stephen Fry"e;One of the best kids books I have ever had the pleasure of reading"e; - Pandora Sykes"e;This book is heaven on a stick"e; - Sophie Dahl(c) Molly Oldfield 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025