A few years ago, my mom gave me a big bin of books that she had saved from my (and my brothers') childhood. Some of them were classics that we already knew and loved, but others, like this gem here, we had never read or heard of before. The very first time I read this book, I knew I had to feature it on this blog. My son fell in love with it the first time we read it, too, and it's truly a wonderful book. It was first published over 25 years ago in 1987, so the hardcover copy that I have seems rather hard to find now.
Fortunately, however, an easy reader paperback version was published in 2002 -- that's the one shown at the very beginning of this post -- which, as far as I can tell, has the same text as the original but with different illustrations. Plus, it's only $3.99! Can't beat that!
If you can ever get your hands on a copy of this book either at the library or your local bookstore, please do. It's a fabulous collection of questions and answers that inquiring minds everywhere will love. I smiled as I read through the questions that are the topics of each page, all of which are the very types of questions my curious, nature-loving son loves to ask (often at the most surprising of times.) Where do fish go in winter? How do birds fly? Why do leaves change colors? What is the sound in a seashell? How do seeds know which was is up? How do cats purr? How does popcorn pop? Why do snakes shed their skin? Do islands float?
The answers are given in rolling, rhyming reply in a way that explains why scientifically, yet simply. I definitely learned a few things reading this book, too, which I always love. Did you know that not all of the strands in a spider's web are sticky, or that the noise we hear when we hold a shell up to our ear is caused not only by the sound of blood rushing through our ear, but also by both air molecules bouncing around? I'll share an example so you can get a taste of just how informative and lovely this book really is.
What do clouds feel like?
Would clouds feel fluffy,
Soft and grand,
If I could touch them
With my hand?
To clutch a cloud
Inside your fist
Would be like holding
Morning mist.
Clouds are not
The way they seem.
They weigh no more
Than fog or steam.
They're made of tiny
Water drops,
So light they float
Above rooftops.
I'd say this book is best suited for preschoolers and elementary students, but would make a fabulous addition to any child's library. It's a must for any classroom, too. As I mentioned earlier, the easy reader version (Level 3) seems easier to come by, but there are a bunch of the original hardcover versions available used on Amazon starting at only $0.01 (plus shipping.) However you track down a copy of this book, I hope you love it as much as we do.
Easy reader paperback: Hardcover (original version):
2 comments:
This is a wonderful book. I read it to my children when they were younger and when they learned to read, they read it themselves and loved it.
It's always fun to find a great book. I was happy to find your blog, too. I love children's books and like to see what others have found worth reading.
Post a Comment