What a charming, informative and entertaining book - a great read for children of all ages (I am 48)!

Did you know that:

• Maya Angelou was a San Francisco Streetcar conductor before she became a celebrated poet?
• The height of the roadway over the Golden Gate Bridge can vary up to 16 feet, due to steel expansion and contraction with air temperature?
• California contains both the highest and lowest points of the contiguous USA (not including Alaska and Hawaii), Mount Whitney and Badwater Basin respectively, and that they're located only 80 miles apart?
• Beverly Hills, now the playground of the rich and famous, was once a lima bean ranch?
• Over 90% of the USA's almonds, apricots, artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, figs, garlic, kiwifruit, nectarines, olives, persimmons, pistachios, plums, pomegranates, raisins, spinach, canning tomatoes and walnuts are grown in California's fertile Central Valley?
• Both BMX and mountain-biking originated in California?
• That you can visit the International Banana Museum in the town of Mecca, in the Coachella Valley?
• That giant coastal Redwoods get almost 40% of their water from thick coastal fog, rather than groundwater?
• That Doritos translates as "little golden things" in Spanish and the snack was invented at Disneyland to use up stale tortillas?

I didn't know any of those things, but now I do - thanks to reading the fun and informative Only in California: Weird and Wonderful Facts About The Golden State!

Author Heather Alexander combines thoughtfully arranged and fascinating facts with Jen Taylor's gorgeous retro-style illustrations, which brought to mind Miroslav Sasek's classic and much-loved "This is..." series, originally published in the 1950s and 60s.

My family enjoyed a wonderful few weeks on holiday in California (from Australia) about a decade ago and visited many of the areas and attractions described in Only in California. Our daughter was only 10 months old at the time, but I think you'd struggle to find a better destination for a family holiday. The people are friendly, the climate is fantastic and there are just so many great things to do and see!

I'd recommend Only in California as a great addition to any home library for native Californians and those who love travelling and learning about other places. The book would make a fabulous gift for a young friend who is going to visit the Golden State, and would be a worthy addition to the reference collection of any elementary-middle school library. I'm delighted to learn that Only in California is the first in a planned series of state-by-state books!

My thanks to the author, Heather Alexander, illustrator Jen Taylor, publisher Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.