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A Day in the Life of the Periodic Table
  • Published: 3 September 2026
  • ISBN: 9780241816660
  • Imprint: Penguin eBooks
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 208

A Day in the Life of the Periodic Table

Formats & editions
Paperback
5 Jan 2027
EBook
3 Sept 2026
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A laugh-out-loud guide to the periodic table from comedian and chemist Freya McGhee

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'Had me laughing and learning, all the way from Actinium to Zirconium' – Adam Kay

Hi! I’m Hydrogen, but you can call me H. I am the smallest element in the universe, but don’t underestimate me. I was here FIRST, before all the other elements. (Literally, I’ve been around since the very beginning – before the planets, the stars and even your great-great-great gran.). Follow me as we explore a day in the life of a periodic table...

  • This laugh-out-loud guide to the periodic table is the perfect funny read to teach kids aged 9+ about science without them even noticing...

  • Packed with fascinating facts about real-life chemistry – such as, did you know the potassium in bananas makes them radioactive? (Don't worry, you'd need to eat about 10 million of them to get the same radiation as an X-ray...)

  • Written by comedian and chemist Freya McGhee, with hilarious comic strip illustrations by Aaron Blecha.
  • Published: 3 September 2026
  • ISBN: 9780241816660
  • Imprint: Penguin eBooks
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 208
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About the authors

Freya McGhee

Freya McGhee is one of two female comedians behind the popular stand-up show Comedians in STEM. She discovered her love of stand-up whilst studying chemistry at university, and now makes a living telling jokes about science (among other things!). Freya has a growing Instagram following of 57K followers, and her videos of science-related jokes are often used the classroom.
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Praise for A Day in the Life of the Periodic Table

Had me laughing and learning, all the way from Actinium to Zirconium.

Adam Kay, bestselling author of THIS IS GOING TO HURT and KAY'S ANATOMY

Step into A Day in the Life of the Periodic Table, where every element is a character and chemistry is a riotous, all-ages adventure. In this jolly irreverent guide, Freya McGhee and Aaron Blecha transform the periodic table from a static classroom chart into a living, breathing cast of personalities, each with their own quirks, dramas, and dazzling scientific secrets.

Roger Highfield, Science Director, The Science Museum