Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty [Paperback]

Joy Masoff (Author), Terry Sirrell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Kids love stuff that's gross. From the liquids, solids, and gases--especially the gases!--or their own bodies to the creepy, crawly, slimy, slithery, fetid, and feculent phenomena in the world at large, kids with a curious bent just can't get enough. Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty brings together, in one book, all the good things about some of the baddest things on Earth.

Exhaustively researched and impeccably scientific, yet written with a lively lack of earnestness, Oh, Yuck! is an ants to zits encyclopedic compendium covering people, animals, insects, plants, foods, and more. Here are vampire bats, which sip blood and pee at the same time so that they'll always be light enough to fly away; and slime eels, wreathed in mucus and eating fellow fish from the inside out. Oh, Yuck! explains why vomit smells; where dandruff comes from; what pus is all about; and why maggots adore rotting meant. Other features include gross recipes, putrid projects, 10 foods that make you airborne, and more.

With hundreds of cartoon illustrations and real-life photographs, Oh, Yuck! is the complete guide to the irresistible--at least to an 8-to-12 year old--underbelly of life.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-Beginning with a warning that "this book is downright disgusting," Masoff presents a delightful compendium of facts about things that are gross, putrid, and stomach turning. Covering more than 50 topics from A to Z, she reveals the truth about some unsavory mysteries of the human body, such as acne, body lint, eye gunk, farts, halitosis, snot, and vomit. Odious creatures such as cockroaches, lice, maggots, rats, and slugs are also discussed. Other subjects include "Cannibals," "Gross Grub," "Mucky Medicine," and "Toilets." Ranging from a couple of paragraphs to several pages, the entries offer a great deal of information in a hilarious tongue-in-cheek manner. The author also provides pronunciations and definitions, historical perspectives, and advice on how to deal with each of her revolting topics. Amusing cartoons and well-chosen, black-and-white photographs with humorous captions support the text. A section of "X-Periments" (e.g., build an exploding pimple, mix a batch of make-believe mucus) makes an appropriate conclusion to the book. Guaranteed to improve the quality of the lunchtime chatter of all but the most squeamish, this delightful volume will be enjoyed by fans of grossness everywhere.-Cynde Marcengill, Horry County Memorial Library, Surfside Beach, SC

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...this delightful volume will be enjoyed by fans of grossness everywhere." -- School Library Journal

"EWWW... For every kid who's ever wondered about burping, pus, slugs, vomit, and the like, we recommend Oh, Yuck! -- Working Mother

"Has a compendium of useful information for teenagers... sort of like Dr. Spock meets South Park." -- MetroKids

"This book is chock full of educational entries covering subjects from insects to bodily secretions." -- Family Life New York, NY

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; 1ST edition (January 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761107711
• ISBN-13: 978-0761107712
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Veterinary
  • #4 in Books > Children's Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias
  • #9 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Mystery & Wonders

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm a grownup and I loved it!, December 4, 2001

By 

Veronica Rusnak (Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty (Paperback)

I bought this for my kid, no I didn't, she's only 3, I b ought it for me and she can have it when she gets older. And I'm buying it for two of my friend's kids. I've always been fascinated with gross stuff like snot, pus, poop, gross foods, etc., and so are most kids. And by the way, my kid, and the two kids I'm buying this for, are girls. The facts are there, it's fun to read, and it might even get the kids to read more and practice good hygiene while they're at it (microscopic photos of worms and such may answer a few questions like "why do I have to wash my hands all the time?" Excellent.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laugh Out Loud Funny!!, December 17, 2002

By 

Wendy Stern (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty (Paperback)

I purchased this book for my 12 year old son for Christmas. I have yet to wrap it because I am so interested in reading it! This is definitely a pretty disgusting book from a mom's point of view but I know my son will absolutely love it! Some of the illustrations are so gross they made me laugh out loud. There is a lot of scientific information hidden in this humorous encyclopedia. I have learned a lot already and I am only up to C. This book is a "must have" for any pre-teen or teenager, especially boys who are fascinated by disgusting things. I can't wait for another book by this author! Maybe social studies could be this humorous as well.

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Facts About Some Yucky Stuff, September 2, 2001

By 

Peggy Dwyer "CHEER MOM" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty (Paperback)

I bought this book to try to stop my preschooler from using "potty-language" every time he speaks - I thought if I explained, in technical detail, that bodily functions and other stuff is just a natural occurance, maybe he would cut his bathroom humor down. Wrong. While the book is entertaining and has a lot of facts that I wasn't aware of, it makes light of all things gross. So we laughed as I read it (there is quite of bit of humor in it) and I realized that almost everyone (especially young boys!) are just fascinated with stuff that drives us Moms crazy! Would make a great gift book for a "tween" ager!