Why Does My Shadow Follow Me?: More Science Questions from Real Kids

by Kira Vermond, Suharu Ogawa (Illustrator)

Overview

Science starts with a question in this fascinating compendium for curious kids.

The team behind the acclaimed Why Don’t Cars Run on Apple Juice? is back to tackle more kid questions like “Are birds really dinosaurs?” and “Why do we have butts?” With help from science center experts, Kira Vermond packs mind-boggling facts into answers that encourage further inquiry, covering topics over five sections: animals, the human body, planet Earth, tech and innovation, and outer space. From glowing scorpions and prehistoric sharks to stem cells and Mars missions, Suharu Ogawa’s colorful, zesty illustrations enhance Vermond’s lively tone.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781773215037
Publisher:	Annick Press, Limited
Publication date:	03/30/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	250
Lexile:	900L (what's this?)
File size:	25 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 11 Years

About the Author

Kira Vermond leads a double life. She's written more than 2,000 articles for adults as a journalist and seven nonfiction books for kids about money, puberty, geography, science, fads, and lies. In other words, she likes to mix things up. She lives in Guelph, Ontario.

Suharu Ogawa is a Toronto-based illustrator originally from Japan. After working as an art librarian in California for several years, she packed up her suitcase and moved to Canada in 2011. Now she creates illustrations for various publications.

Table of Contents

Table of contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: CUTE CRITTERS AND UP-ROAR-IOUS CREATURES
Earth is crawling with incredible animals
What do cats use their whiskers for?
Why do dogs see in black and white?
Why don’t owls fly in the morning?
Why do scorpions glow under ultraviolet light?
Why don’t wasps make honey?
Why do bees sting?
What is the oldest animal on Earth?
Why are sharks so scary?
Why didn’t sharks become extinct with the dinosaurs?
How do scientists know a T-rex was standing on two feet?
Are birds really dinosaurs?
Chapter 2: THE WORLD INSIDE US
From nose to toes and brains to bums, our bodies are amazing
What makes us human?
Why do we grow hair?
Why do we have butts?
How many times can you spin before you puke?
Why does my pee smell?
How does sound get to our brain?
Do we all see color the same?
Why are games so fun?
Will humans ever fly?
Is genetic mutation that creates super abilities possible?
Chapter 3: THIS PLANET WE CALL HOME
Earth is a naturally curious place
Why do we have to go outside?
How did water get on Earth?
What makes volcanos explode?
Why are flowers different colors?
Why is a cactus prickly?
How do mirrors reflect?
What color is sunlight?
Why does my shadow follow me?
How does static make hair fly?
How many people live on Earth?

Chapter 4: TREMENDOUS TECH AND INSPIRING INNOVATIONS
Science can make life better, safer, and more fun
How do you get the strawberry in the strawberry candy?
Why does my bag of popcorn explode after microwaving for two minutes?
Why is glue sticky?
How does an X-ray see through bodies?
When will they cure cancer?
Can stem cells bring back the dead?
Can we live forever one day?
Why do we pollute?
How does information travel so fast on the internet?
Is there Wi-Fi in space?

Chapter 5: OUR OUT-OF-THIS WORLD UNIVERSE
Far-out facts about space
Why do northern lights exist?
Why is there no gravity in space?
When will the sun explode?
What is the coldest star?
Do bacteria grow in space?
Why are there astronauts in space when we have robots?
How far is it possible to go in a spaceship?
How do people survive on Mars?

Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Further Reading and Select Sources
Index

Editorial Reviews

2020-12-15
Substantial answers to 50 more science queries, from “When will they cure cancer?” to “Why do we have butts?”

Like the questions in Vermond and Ogawa’s Why Don’t Cars Run on Apple Juice? (2019), this fresh set, all posed by young visitors to the Ontario Science Centre, are backed up with full citations to the sources of the answers so that skeptical (or interested) readers can check for themselves. This comes in handy when the answers are complicated, such as the one about curing cancer, or when the questions are trick ones, like “Why do dogs see in black and white?” (“They don’t”) or “Why is there no gravity in space?” (“there is”). In line with her observation that scientists “actually get paid to play,” Vermond keeps the tone light and the language nontechnical throughout. Ogawa reciprocates with cartoon illustrations that feature button-eyed animals with animated expressions mixing with a notably pluralistic array of human figures (including a bald child and people of various ages in wheelchairs) who not only display a broad range of skin colors, but dress diversely enough to include the occasional hijab or turban. “Science,” the author writes, “is sewn into the very fabric of who we are as humans.” Even casual readers will come away knowing a little more about themselves and the world around them as well as understanding that, willy-nilly, we are all doing science all the time.

A playful romp through multiple fields of science in which even silly questions lead to startling discoveries. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-11)

Kirkus Reviews