Author: Natalie Labarre

General knowledge & trivia (Children's / Teenage)

Published on 9 April 2026 by Nosy Crow Ltd in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 48 pages
297 x 256 x 12 | 522g

Discover all kinds of weird and wonderful mistakes you've (probably) never heard of in this funny, fascinating book.

Did you know that Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin BY MISTAKE when he forgot to tidy his lab? Or that an 11-year-old child accidentally invented . . . the ICE LOLLY? What about the chemist whose fiery failure led to . . . the very first MATCHSTICK? Or the chef whose attempt to annoy a fussy customer resulted in . . . the creation of CRISPS?From building blunders to musical mishaps, mouthwash to ice-cream cones, post-it notes to fireworks, there are all sorts of incredible mistakes that you've probably never heard of . . . and some of them have shaped life as you know it! Maybe one day YOU will make an incredible mistake too.

Shows children how important lessons can be learned from failure and teaches them not to be afraid of making mistakesFeatures engaging text from author Natalie Labarre, brimming with wit and wow-factorColourfully brought to life throughout with exuberant and amusing artwork from illustrator Gosia HerbaCreated in consultation with experts from the University of CambridgeAlso available from Natalie Labarre: Incredible Jobs You've (Probably) Never Heard Of - Shortlisted for the 2024 Waterstones Children's Book Award!