How Come? Every Kid's Science Questions Explained [Paperback]

Kathy Wollard (Author), Debra Solomon (Author)

Book Description

For every kid who really wants to know—and for every exasperated parent who simply doesn't know—here is a lively omnium-gatherum of explanations to the most frequently asked questions about our world, from "Why do stars twinkle?" to "What are hiccups? "Taken from Kathy Wollard's popular column, "How Come?" (seen for the past six years in Newsday and recently syndicated nationally through the Los Angeles Times), How Come? explains why cats can survive high falls (because of the way their bodies can act like a "parachute") and how black holes absorb light (intense gravity—if the Earth had the same density as a black hole, it would have to be compressed to the size of a marble!). Now you can know it all.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 5-9. Why is the sky blue? What color is water? Do parrots understand what they say? These are but a few of the questions, common and not so common, answered in a compilation drawn from Wollard's syndicated newspaper science column. Organized in a roughly topical fashion and crisscrossing the science spectrum from physics to astronomy to biology, the questions are answered, not only in considerable detail (each column was originally around 500 words) and understandable terms, but also with a concerted effort to keep the science light and related to young people's everyday experiences. Debra Solomon's zany black-and-white cartoon drawings are strictly for laughs. Browsers as well as the seriously science-minded will find much to intrigue them. Stephanie Zvirin

From the Back Cover

NOW YOU CAN KNOW IT ALL

Firefly light and the aurora borealis. Time travel and tears. Blood types, boomerangs, and black widow spiders. Explanations and investigations. A fact-filled, fun-filled, whimsically illustrated compendium, HOW COME? answers over 100 of the questions asked most frequently about the world around us.

It explains what a mirage is (an image caused by air bending light). How a cat can survive a high fall (because of the way its body acts like a parachute). And why, when someone else yawns, you want to yawn too (in primitive times, yawns may have been a way to synchronize group behavior).

So go ahead, ask it your best question.

ATTENTION PARENTS:

Can you say why the sky is blue? Or explain how an X-Ray can take a picture of your child's bones? It's not easy to be knowledgeable in all walks of science, but here's lively help for when the questions start coming.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (January 12, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563053241
• ISBN-13: 978-1563053245
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #128,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best kid's science book I've ever encountered., August 26, 2007

By 

Joshua G. Feldman "Technophile" (New York) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Come? Every Kid's Science Questions Explained (Paperback)

I love science and read a lot of adult science books. My son, 7, is really into science too - so we run through a lot of kid's science books. I've never encountered a better one than this one. "How Come?" never condescends and it never cuts corners in its explanations. It focuses in with razor sharpness on the questions and issues kids (and childlike minds) have and then answers them with clear and rational explanations that really inform and educate. I find myself reading this book and learning things - even on topics I'd covered many times before. I'd say that the age this book is pitched for is 8-14, but even smaller kids get something out of it - and few adults can resist it either.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have!, May 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How Come? Every Kid's Science Questions Explained (Paperback)

This is the book to have whether science was a weak subject in school or none of the scientific knowledge was retained once out of school. Parents would find this book useful in quelling the barrage of questions from their inquisitive children while satisfying their own curiosity in the field of science. Do you know why people have different blood types? Different types of proteins found in red blood cells and the plasma they float in determine the type of blood a person has. What causes hiccups? They are caused by the diaphragm going into spasms. These are some of the interesting subjects explained in this book accompanied by funny and amusing illustrations. Parents and children will repeatedly reach for this book as a reference for their questions in the field of science.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really cool book!, March 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How Come? Every Kid's Science Questions Explained (Paperback)

This is a really cool book! I always wondered why drops of water cling to the inside of a glass when you turn it over, and this book finally answered my question. I also found out that pandas aren't really bears (they're more like oversized raccoons) and whether it rains on other planets. I would recommend this book for any kid or adult who really wants to know. The drawings are funny, too. (like the radioactive toupee and the black widow spider wedding, where she promises to love, honor, and DIGEST).