You Could Look It Up

How does a roller coaster work? Which airport is the busiest in the world? How much blood is inside my body? What is a tsunami?

Welcome to the wonderful world of parenting, with a question every minute—some of which I can answer, others ... not so much. Enter The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents), which attempts to answer all those burning questions and more. The book is divided into ten sections:

• Outer Space (How hot is the sun? What is a space shuttle?)
• Planet Earth and Our Moon (What is the Arctic tundra? How do clouds float?)
• Creatures Big and Small (What did dinosaurs eat? Why do birds often crash into windows?)
• Plant Life (Is poison ivy really poisonous? What is aloe vera?)
• People Around the World (Why do people speak different languages? What is the U.S. census?)
• Politics and Government (Is the District of Columbia a state? Which countries have the most neighbors?)
• How Things Work (How are tunnels built? What is the Morse code?)
• Math, Measurement, and Time (How long is each year? When was the wristwatch invented?)
• All About My Body (What is DNA? What causes people to pass gas?)
• Daily Life (Why do I have to wash my hands after handling my pet turtle? What safety rules should be followed during a thunderstorm?)

Those are just samples of the 800 questions that are answered in this book. I expected Steph and Pete to be the most interested in it, but they've barely had a chance to even flip through it, because Julie has been hogging it! She loves it, and I know the other two will too if she ever lets them get near it! (Julie is indeed an advanced reader; this book is geared to kids a little older than 8.)

Many thanks to the Online Publicist for sending me this terrific book to review—and thereby saving me from having to mutter, "Um, I don't know..." when one of the kids asks me "How does a fire extinguisher work? How do frogs make their loud croaking sound? Why do my knuckles sometimes make a cracking sound if I bend them?"

Comments

[Margaret]

My kids had several books like that and loved them. They enjoyed quizzing us too to see how "smart" we were.

[Sandy]

Excellent recommendation. My Hanukkah list is begun. Yes-sir-ee, this December will be different. I will make a list and buy gifts early. There will be no last-minute scramble. No-sir-ee. (Every year I make this vow. In vain.)

[Sharon]

Wow, that could free up a lot of time if I'm not answering endless questions...