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Time for Kids: Big Book of Why - 1,001 Facts Kids Want to Know

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This handy reference answers the questions that kids commonly ask and adults rarely can answer. Why do we have eyebrows? What's a black hole? Why do wet fingers stick to metal in the freezer? Divided by subject area and written in an upbeat manner, each answer is accompanied by either a photo or illustration to show the reasons why. Full color.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

12 people are currently reading
196 people want to read

About the author

John Perritano

210 books4 followers
Over the years, I have written and edited a variety of books, magazines, Web sites, newspapers, and other publications, as well as authoring a number of non-fiction titles.

Most recently, I was a senior editor at Scholastic, the largest publisher of children’s books in the world. I was in charge of hundreds of fiction and non-fiction titles. Currently, I am a full-time freelance writer, penning non-fiction books and articles. My client list includes National Geographic, Discovery.com, Scholastic, various textbook publishers, and others.

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5 stars
117 (44%)
4 stars
87 (33%)
3 stars
44 (16%)
2 stars
11 (4%)
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3 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Cinnamon.
162 reviews85 followers
August 17, 2010
We've got something just a little bit different today. I was approached about taking a look at BIG BOOK OF WHY: ANSWERS TO THE 1001 MOST ASKED QUESTIONS by Time for Kids. Now, normally I tend to look at books with a story that appeal to YA or older readers, but I just couldn't pass this up. It looked like something my daughter might be interested in, so I figured I'd use her to test drive it.

Verdict: She loves it.

The best thing about THE BIG BOOK OF WHY is that it is jam packed with facts and trivia that kept my kid entertained for hours. In fact, I'm not entirely sure she's made her way through the entire book yet although she picks it up any chance she gets.

Story books are great for her, but there are times when I think she really just wants something she can sit down with for a while and peruse. THE BIG BOOK OF WHY fills this role perfectly. This definitely is not a book I would recommend for extended reading sessions as there is no clear story for young minds to follow. However, little readers looking for some light reading and something to flip through should find something of interest here.

My daughter's favorite aspect of THE BIG BOOK OF WHY is definitely the pictures. Luckily, although robust with information and facts, this book comes complete with a wide assortment of illustrations. You only have to look as far as the cover to see how colorful the book is. I'm pretty sure that there is an image for just about every bit of trivia in the book.

If you're looking for an entertaining book for kids - this is it. Full of knowledge and guaranteed to entertain for hours, this is a great rest-time or road trip book. Also, don't tell, but this book is fairly entertaining for adults as well.
Profile Image for K.L. Bernard.
Author 1 book22 followers
November 23, 2017
We all have questions about one thing or another. Do you ever wonder why bats hang upside down or why dogs turn and turn before they lay down? Why do we need to sleep or eat or bleed? Why are Russian church domes shaped like onions? This Big Book of Why has a lot of questions with answers and photos too. Readers will get a brain full while flipping through these pages. The sections are broken up into categories of Animals, Earth, Space, Humans, Around The World, History, Science, Technology and Sports.

Volcanos can change the weather because when they erupt large clouds of smoke fill the air blocking the sun and therefore changing the weather. The surface of the moon is like cocoa powder as a result of millions of years of meteoroids colliding and generating heat and even more collisions causing the moon’s surface to become soft and powdery. Earwax is good for protecting the body from unwanted invaders.

This guide is for everyone. There are fun facts, lots of photos and resources for even more learning. Parents and teachers will want kids to have this book for homework or just for fun. There are 1001 amazing things for readers to learn. There are also extra resources for even more learning in the back pages.

Profile Image for Ruthwik.
26 reviews
April 10, 2018
This book has almost every why question you can think of. Like why does our breath stink in the morning when we wake up?
69 reviews
February 3, 2020
i loved the book i read almost each fact i didn't read like 2 facts because they didn't look nice
Profile Image for Margie.
15 reviews
June 23, 2012
TIME for Kids. (2010). BIG book of why: 1,001 facts kids want to know. New York: Time for Kids.

Citation by: Margie Findley

Type of Reference: Encyclopedia

Call Number: N/A

Description: An encyclopedia full of answers to the questions that begin with why.

Relevance and Relationship: The cost is $10.79 and it is worth it when you can answer the “why” questions your child or student has asked 100 times. As teachers and parents we try to find the answers for our child’s curiosity, but sometimes we don’t have the time. Here is an amazing book to answer many of those questions and give even more information. Be careful though, as my head is still spinning from reading all the questions and answers. This is also a great addition to a lesson plan or prompts for journal entries.

Purpose: To bring more interest to the reference collection and answer questions that children may wonder about (and usually ask). It is a resource for more facts to introduce to the students and addictive to read.

Validity: Time magazine is known for their informative magazines and other 1,001 series books.

Format: A 192 page hardcover book full of illustrations which is very appealing and addicting to the facts.

Arrangement and Presentation: It is divided by subject area: humans, animals, environment/nature, technology, and space with plenty of questions relating to each. It is absolutely full of color and facts that go beyond simply answering the questions.

Diversity: It answers questions which are asked by a diverse population of children in multiple areas. It addresses a variety of students’ interests.
Profile Image for Ben.
15 reviews1 follower
March 16, 2012
It talked about random questions and scientific answers, very interesting book to read for people who likes science.

I picked this book because I like science, so I want to try this book out and it was great.

I finished this book because I want to know more facts about science.

I recommend this book to Patrick because he likes scientific facts.
Profile Image for Duane.
1,448 reviews19 followers
March 14, 2011
For young readers who are interested in learning trivia about just about everything, this is the perfect book for them. With great photographs, readers will learn facts about space, humans, animals, and more. A great book to add to your nonfiction collection. Nice that it's updated too!
3 reviews
Currently reading
February 12, 2016
This book has everything you need to know. Everything question and why you had about something this book has it. And it also can give information on things you didn't know about. And yes I would required everybody to read this book. This is a great book
Profile Image for Abbycat.
75 reviews3 followers
July 27, 2011
Tells you all about 1,001 facts that many children want to know. It is a very informational book and it gives answers to many strange and hard-to-answer questions. I really enjoyed reading it.
Profile Image for Aljoharah Alobaikan.
410 reviews226 followers
December 25, 2011
كتاب رائع يجيب على معظم اسئلة الاطفال وحتى الكبار
انصح به لمن لديه اولاد من سن السابعه
اولادي استمتعوا به كثيرا
29 reviews
March 18, 2012
It is a great book filled wit hinteresting facts I didn't know. If you loved any of the Weird but Trues, I know you would love this book.
6 reviews
August 8, 2013
If you like science and technology, this book is all about it. I couldn't put it down because of the highly amusing facts about this subject.
Profile Image for Matthew Norton.
8 reviews
May 7, 2014
SUPER INTRESTING FOR SPORTS LOVERS. MY FRIEND RECOMMENDED IT TO ME.
58 reviews
August 23, 2014
10YO girl and 6YO boy love it. Great for homeschooling. You can leave it out for those free moments in between subjects/lessons.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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