This edition of National Geographic Kids magazine, dated August 2025, is a vibrant publication designed to engage young readers with a wide array of fascinating topics, “Weird But True!” facts, and interactive content. The magazine aims to make learning memorable, featuring compelling photography, such as the cover image of a shark by Brian Skerry from the National Geographic Image Collection.
The magazine covers a diverse range of subjects, presented through various sections and features:
- Shark Fest: This is the main focus of the edition, inviting readers to “Sink your teeth into these seven surprising shark stories to find your shark bestie”. It explores over 500 species of sharks, noting that some have teeth too small to bite and others are “practically vegetarian”. The section details seven specific species with “mind-blowing traits,” including Lemon Sharks that prefer to “hang out with the same friends for years”, Whale Sharks which are “gentle giants” and the largest fish in the world, Chain Catsharks that “glows in the dark” to attract mates, Great White Sharks that often release humans because they’re not on their menu, Greenland Sharks which can live for nearly 500 years, Bonnethead Sharks that are “Salad Snackers” with seagrass making up over half their diet, and Spinner Sharks described as “Airborne Acrobats” who leap up to 20 feet out of the water. The magazine also includes “COOL SHARK COLLECTOR’S CARDS INSIDE!” featuring species like the Tasselled Wobbegong, Angel Shark, Pelagic Thresher, Basking Shark, Frilled Shark, and Puffadder Shyshark. There’s also a “SUPER Sharks!” segment that explores lesser-known sharks with true or false facts and conservation tips, and a “6 SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT SHARKS” section on page 75. Notably, the magazine features an interactive quiz titled “Which shark would be your BESTIE?” where readers can discover their “shark soulmate” based on their personality traits.
- Departments:
- The Big Picture: Features a photograph and story about Bob, an American flamingo rescued and living at a rehabilitation center in Curaçao, helping other flamingos heal.
- Weird But True!: Presents a collection of “outrageous facts,” such as the longest Monopoly game in a moving elevator (384 hours), the regal horned lizard squirting blood to repel predators, and a house cat’s top speed of 31 miles an hour.
- Cool Inventions: Highlights “BEAT THE HEAT: COOLING WIND TOWERS,” describing ancient Middle Eastern technology that funnel cool breezes into homes and how modern architects are incorporating similar designs.
- Photo Ark: Showcases the Photo Ark mission by Joel Sartore, featuring a behind-the-scenes look at photographing Fennec foxes and explaining the project’s goal to make “each animal equal” and worthy of protection.
- Bet You Didn’t Know!: Provides “8 bold facts about colors,” including that blue-tinted sunglasses might make you less hungry and that Oscar the Grouch was originally orange.
- Animal Newsfeed: Shares “Updates from the wild world,” reporting on “Dizzy Apes” that enjoy spinning, the rediscovery of the De Winton’s Golden Mole after 90 years, and how scientists use “fitness trackers” on snakes to study their behavior without disturbance.
- Main Features (other than sharks):
- Destination: Europa: Explores Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, and the Europa Clipper spacecraft mission. It delves into the possibility of alien life beneath its thick ice crust and how the mission will study its ocean and surface. It also touches upon NASA’s Voyager 2’s “Golden Record” and the Disney and Pixar movie Elio.
- 10 Cool Things About Flowers: Sniffs out fun facts about blooms globally, such as sunflower seeds being used for sun butter, the unique appearance of Southeast Asia’s bat flower, and the massive flower carpet built in Brussels, Belgium.
- Viking Myths Busted!: Challenges common misconceptions about Vikings, debunking myths like their use of catapults, wearing horned helmets, or spending all their time attacking villages. It also reveals that some Viking leaders were women and explains that “Viking” wasn’t originally a self-identifier for the entire culture.
- Fun Stuff: Includes various activities like a “Go on Safari” maze, a “This or That?” quiz on time-travelling superpowers, and a “Puzzled” coral reef-themed word search.
National Geographic Kids USA – August 2025
- Language: English
- Total of pages: 48 pages
- File format: PDF
- File size: 21.4 MB
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National Geographic Kids FAQs: Uncover Wild Discoveries & Surprising Facts!
The August 2025 issue of National Geographic Kids covers a diverse range of captivating topics. A significant theme is “Shark Fest,” which delves into surprising facts about sharks, busting common myths and highlighting seven unique species. Another prominent feature is “Destination: Europa,” exploring the possibility of alien life on Jupiter’s icy moon. The issue also includes “Viking Myths Busted!” which debunks popular misconceptions about these ancient raiders. Additionally, readers can find “10 Cool Things About Flowers,” offering fun facts about blooms worldwide, and a segment on the rediscovery of the De Winton’s golden mole.
“Shark Fest” challenges the common perception of sharks as solely gigantic, toothy eating machines. It reveals that with over 500 species, sharks exhibit a wide range of surprising traits. For instance, some have teeth too small to bite, and others are practically vegetarian. The feature highlights seven surprising species: Lemon Sharks (known for forming long-term friendships), Whale Sharks (gentle giants that filter plankton), Chain Catsharks (which use bioluminescence for communication), Great White Sharks (often release humans due to disinterest in them as prey), Greenland Sharks (the longest-living vertebrates, up to 500 years), Bonnethead Sharks (uniquely consume seagrass), and Spinner Sharks (known for their acrobatic leaps out of the water). It also emphasizes the importance of shark protection due to many species being threatened or endangered.
The Europa Clipper mission is significant as it’s the first dedicated mission to an icy ocean world. Scientists hope to determine if Europa’s massive subsurface ocean, which could hold twice as much water as Earth’s oceans, contains the building blocks of life. The spacecraft will conduct close flybys, getting as close as 16 miles from the moon, despite Jupiter’s intense magnetic field. Clipper’s advanced cameras will map Europa’s surface in detail, searching for connections between the surface ice and the ocean below. It may even fly through geysers if they exist, collecting samples to analyze the ocean’s composition without drilling. The mission’s findings will inform whether icy ocean worlds are habitable, greatly expanding the potential for life in the universe.
The “Viking Myths Busted!” section debunks several popular misconceptions about Vikings. Firstly, it clarifies that Vikings did not use catapults in battle, preferring light, fast weapons like spears, swords, axes, and arrows. Secondly, the term “Viking” was not used by them to describe themselves; instead, others referred to them as “Northmen.” The word “Viking” loosely translated to “pirate” or “raider” in Old Norse. Thirdly, contrary to popular imagery, Vikings did not wear horned helmets, opting for smoother, iron headgear for better protection. Fourthly, Vikings did not spend all their time attacking villages; they mostly raided in the summer and spent the rest of the year farming, fishing, or building ships. Finally, the article challenges the idea that Viking leaders were exclusively men, noting that women held surprising power, handled family finances, and some may have even been fierce warriors, as evidenced by a high-ranking female Viking burial in Sweden.
The issue highlights several unique natural phenomena and animal behaviors. One intriguing phenomenon is the bioluminescence of Chain Catsharks, whose skin absorbs blue light and reflects it as green, allowing them to communicate in the deep ocean. Another is the impressive leaping ability of Spinner Sharks, which twirl up to 20 feet out of the water to catch prey. The “Animal Newsfeed” section reveals that great apes, similar to humans, enjoy spinning in circles until they feel dizzy. “Weird But True!” includes facts like the regal horned lizard squirting blood from its eyes to deter predators and that many of today’s pet hamsters can be traced back to one Syrian family from 1930.
National Geographic Kids promotes environmental awareness and conservation through various segments. The “Cool Inventions” section highlights ancient “wind towers” as an electricity-free method for cooling buildings, encouraging readers to reduce air conditioner use to combat planet-heating fuel consumption. Conservation efforts are explicitly mentioned for sharks, with calls to action like spreading awareness, treading carefully in shallow waters, reducing plastic use, avoiding certain seafood, and reporting shark sightings. The rediscovery of the De Winton’s golden mole underscores the threat of habitat loss due to mining and the importance of human action to protect endangered species. The “Photo Ark” project, which aims to photograph 25,000 animal species, emphasizes that every animal is “worthy of protection.”
The issue presents “10 Cool Things About Flowers,” offering a glimpse into the diverse world of blooms. Key facts include: sunflower seeds can be used to make sun butter; Southeast Asia’s bat flower has long whiskers and bat-wing-like leaves; the three-foot-wide stinking corpse lily smells like rotting meat; hummingbirds can visit a thousand flowers in a day; the flowers of Palicourea tomentosa resemble bright red lips; Brussels, Belgium, creates a massive flower carpet every two years; the rose, nicknamed “queen of the flowers,” has existed for 35 million years; the torch lily is also known as a red hot poker; Dracula orchids attract pollinating flies by mimicking mushrooms; and bighorn sheep snack on brittle-bush flowers.
The magazine features several surprising facts about humans, animals, and common items. Under “Weird But True!”, it mentions that the longest Monopoly game in a moving elevator lasted 384 hours, a house cat’s top speed is 31 miles per hour, and one woman remembered almost every day of her life since age 11. It also notes that if humans came in as many sizes as dogs, we’d range from three to 18 feet tall. “Bet You Didn’t Know!” provides “8 bold facts about colors,” such as wearing blue-tinted sunglasses possibly reducing hunger, Oscar the Grouch originally being orange, and that in ancient China, only emperors could wear yellow. It also reveals that more than six billion green Monopoly houses have been manufactured since 1935.
