When we ask "Why?" about something, we usually get a range of answers, such as: "Because I said so."; "Well, duh!"; "Hmm. I never thought about that."; or "Don't ask stupid questions!" Occasionally you can find the info you're looking for by Googling, but that's not always reliable (especially when you get five different explanations from five different websites).
Thanks to a new book from Time for Kids called the "Big Book of Why," you can have a lot of accurate information about a lot of really interesting stuff at your fingertips. For instance:
Why does hair turn gray?
Because every follicle of hair has cells that produce a chemical called melanin, which gives hair its color. As we get older, those pigment cells die off and with less melanin, our hair turns gray or white.
Why does flatulence (farting) smell bad?
The smell comes from bacteria in the large intestine that release small amounts of gas containing sulfur (which smells stinky).
Why do racehorses run counterclockwise?
That dates back to the American Revolution. The man who opened the first circular horse racetrack in America was a patriot, and had the horses run counterclockwise to rebel against the British, whose racehorses ran clockwise. The tradition stuck when runners and racecars also took to the track.
What was Mickey Mouse's original name?
Mortimer Mouse, but Walt Disney's wife didn't like the name (who could blame her?) and renamed him Mickey.
Why is water wet?
Actually, water isn't wet. Wetness is just a feeling we experience when we come in contact with water. When we change certain qualities about water -- like freeze it -- it can feel as hard as a rock rather than wet!
These factoids and hundreds of others are arranged in categories like Animals, Earth, Space, Humans, People and Places, History, Science, Technology, Art and Culture, and Sports. The explanations are great for satisfying curiosity, wowing friends and family, and getting ideas for further research or school projects. We like that many of these questions are so basic, we'd never even thought of them until we saw them here. The book is laid out in an easy-to-read style with colorful photos and illustrations, and the writing is fun to read. It's a great item to bring to sleepovers, family dinners, or just to bed. The Internet may be chock full of information available 24/7, but sometimes a nice hefty book you can hold in your hand is the best answer to many of life's big questions.
IML's Rating: A
Thanks to a new book from Time for Kids called the "Big Book of Why," you can have a lot of accurate information about a lot of really interesting stuff at your fingertips. For instance:
Why does hair turn gray?Because every follicle of hair has cells that produce a chemical called melanin, which gives hair its color. As we get older, those pigment cells die off and with less melanin, our hair turns gray or white.
Why does flatulence (farting) smell bad?
The smell comes from bacteria in the large intestine that release small amounts of gas containing sulfur (which smells stinky).
Why do racehorses run counterclockwise?
That dates back to the American Revolution. The man who opened the first circular horse racetrack in America was a patriot, and had the horses run counterclockwise to rebel against the British, whose racehorses ran clockwise. The tradition stuck when runners and racecars also took to the track.
What was Mickey Mouse's original name?
Mortimer Mouse, but Walt Disney's wife didn't like the name (who could blame her?) and renamed him Mickey.
Why is water wet?
Actually, water isn't wet. Wetness is just a feeling we experience when we come in contact with water. When we change certain qualities about water -- like freeze it -- it can feel as hard as a rock rather than wet!
These factoids and hundreds of others are arranged in categories like Animals, Earth, Space, Humans, People and Places, History, Science, Technology, Art and Culture, and Sports. The explanations are great for satisfying curiosity, wowing friends and family, and getting ideas for further research or school projects. We like that many of these questions are so basic, we'd never even thought of them until we saw them here. The book is laid out in an easy-to-read style with colorful photos and illustrations, and the writing is fun to read. It's a great item to bring to sleepovers, family dinners, or just to bed. The Internet may be chock full of information available 24/7, but sometimes a nice hefty book you can hold in your hand is the best answer to many of life's big questions.
IML's Rating: A
