While strolling Costco this weekend, my three-year old looked up at me and innocently asked, “Do donkeys go to church?”
And before I could answer the first question, he then asked, “What do donkeys do?”
The past few weeks, the kid has done his best to stump us with his curiosity and long list of questions, impossible questions included. We do our best to answer them, but sometimes, truly, I have no answer because I really don’t know! As every parent knows, kids are innately curious and they love to ask questions, which why I totally appreciate these new releases from Time for Kids.
Just in time for Halloween, the editors of Time for Kids released two new books for our inquisitive and answer-starved kid: That’s Awesome and The BIG Book of Why.
Geared to school-aged kids to read on their own, Time for Kid’s new books aim to answer many questions that even the littler ones might ask.
The Big Book of Why features 1,001 facts, including the science or history to further explain the answer in a straightforward and kid-friendly way.
And with Halloween in mind, here are some fun excerpts from The Big Book of Why:
Why do vampire bats drink blood? [page 8] – There are many different type of bats, but there’s only one type that drinks blood – the vampire bat. They are the only mammals that feed entirely on blood. A special enzyme in the saliva of a vampire bat keeps the blood of animals from clotting, making the blood easier to drink. Scientists say the first vampire bats that emerged were related to bats that gorged themselves on parasites of prehistoric beasts. Vampire bats slowly evolved into drinking the blood of animals.
Why do spiders spin webs? (page 15) – Spider-Man spins his web to swing from building to building and to catch villains. Real spiders spin webs for the same reasons – sort of. Spiders release a sticky type of silk from their abdomens when they spin a web. Spiders use webs to climb from place to place. Spiders also spin webs to trap their next meal and to make egg sacs to hold their eggs.
Why can eating chocolate candy make people hyper? (page 130) – Chocolate candy and many soft drinks contain sugar and caffeine. It’s the caffeine, not the sugar, that can make a person jumpy or hyper. Some parents blame sugar for their children’s hyperactivity. But most researchers now say that sugar does not make most children “bounce off the wall.” Some studies show that artificial, or human-made, food dyes are responsible for increased hyperactivity in kids.
Do the kids revel in off-the-wall topics or new-found information? If so, That’s Awesome might be a cool reading pick for them.
That’s Awesome showcases new and interesting topics such as cool jobs and interesting tidbits that kids might find fascinating.
The Sweetest Job of All (page 150) – Does your sweet tooth rule your life? Think about being a professional chocolate taster, like Rose Potts who works for a chocolate maker in Pennsylvania. Each morning Potts prepares product samples to taste with a group of co-workers. They look at the color of the chocolate, smell it, and feel how it melts in the mouth. They listen to the sound it makes sand decide if it’s fruity or nutty or spicy. When they’re done, they decide if each piece of chocolate tastes right – or if it has to be changed to make it taste better.
Gumming Up the Works (page 153) – Stepping on cast-off chewing gum is really annoying. Luckily, in some cities there are squads of workers who, armed with machines called GumBusters, go forth to remove the sticky wads. With the GumBusters, it takes about five seconds to unstick a piece of gum from the sidewalk.
That’s Awesome ($19.95, Ages 8 and up) and The BIG Book of Why ($19.95, Ages 8 and up) from Time for Kids are available at book stores now.
