Kay’s Incredible Inventions: A fascinating and fantastically funny guide to inventions that changed the world (and some that definitely didn’t)

Winner of the Laugh Out Loud Book Awards 2025 (non-fiction)

Do you ever wonder where the stuff around you all came from? No, not from eBay. I mean, who had the amazing idea of making a mobile phone or the annoying idea of building a school? For example, did you know that Velcro was invented by a dog and WiFi by a movie star? (Spoiler alert - it wasn’t Zendaya.)

In the fourth laugh-out-loud book from Adam Kay and Henry Paker, you’ll learn all about the coolest, grossest and most ridiculous inventions in the world. You’ll meet the queen who used the first ever toilet, learn why margarine used to be full of maggots and find out why Ancient Greeks wiped their bums on dinner plates. Oh, and hopefully some slightly more useful facts as well…

An A to Kay to Z of the random, ridiculous and revolutionary inventions that changed our lives. (And some that definitely didn’t …)


Praise for Kay’s Anatomy:
‘An enjoyably gross look at the human body. Hours of gruesome fun guaranteed’ i
‘Like listening to a teacher who makes pupils fall about’ Sunday Times
‘Totally brilliant!’ Jacqueline Wilson
‘Fun and informative’ Malorie Blackman
‘Very funny - this exciting book is bound to inspire the next generation of medics’ Sunday Express

Praise for Kay’s Marvellous Medicine:
‘A ridiculously funny read that will delight, gross out and educate all at the same time’ Independent
‘Educational and entertaining. It should be on the national curriculum!’ Harry Hill
‘Completely marvellous and very funny’ BookTrust