Why Is Snot Green?: And Other Extremely Important Questions (and Answers)
“Is the Earth really getting hotter, and is that so bad?” “Why do we walk on two legs (instead of four)?” Conservation, evolution, technology, animal life, space travel, physics, and much more are discussed in this lively science book. The writer worked at the London Science Museum, and the chatty questions and answers read like an informal guided tour for kids, with text that is compelling, never intimidating, and sometimes deliberately outrageous. Starting with the book’s title, the open talk about yucky bodily functions will grab even reluctant readers (“Do rabbits fart? Why?” “What are scabs for, and is it OK to pick them?”). Children will have fun browsing the spacious pages and sharing what they read with adults, who can join in the explanations about complex stuff, including time travel and Einstein’s theory of relativity. Grades 3-6. --Hazel Rochman