X-Why-Z Answers the Common Kid Question: Why?
By Emily
It seems my youngest daughter’s new favorite word is "why". I know I should be thankful that it’s no longer the "no" word, but the "why" word requires a bigger supermom power: brains. When I don’t have the answers, she’s old enough to know that mommy’s telling stories and on a good day when I have the answer to her question, it can still be hard to explain in a way that she can understand and relate to. To help encourage her wonder and satisfy her curiosity, I have found a great book to help answer a variety of everyday “whys” with X-Why-Z by Time Home Entertainment Inc. and TIME For Kids.
From animals to plants, from the human body to history, the new book X-Why-Z helps children ages four to six better understand the world they live in. Addressing more than 200 questions, accompanied by colorful photos and vibrant illustrations, X-Why-Z delivers age-appropriate answers to questions ranging from “Why do I sneeze?” to “Why is grass green?” Thoughtfully crafted by the editors of the award-winning TIME For Kids classroom magazine, parents, teachers, and libraries can be sure that X-Why-Z is age appropriate, informative and entertaining.
Sample questions and answers include:
Human Body:
Q. Why do I get goosebumps?
A. Goosebumps help your skin keep warm. Your hair stands up to protect your skin from cold air. Each tiny hair makes one bump.
Animals:
Q. Why do cats lick you?
A. Cats lick people to show they care. It’s like a mother cat cleaning her kitten.
Nature:
Q. Why do tree leaves change color?
A. During the spring and summer, leaves are filled with green chlorophyll. The chlorophyll helps the trees make food, and it makes the leaves look green. In the colder fall weather, leaves lose their chlorophyll and show their bright colors.
Earth & Space:
Q. Why does the moon seem to change shape?
A. One side of the moon always faces the sun, and one side is always dark. Here on Earth, we can only see the part of the moon that is lit by the sun. For a few days every month, we see the whole lit side, and we call it a full moon. The rest of the month, we only see part of the lit side, so the moon looks smaller. When we can’t see any of the lit part, we call that a new moon.
Inventions:
Q. Why are school buses yellow?
A. Yellow is an easy color to see, even in bad weather. The bright color warns drivers to look out for children.
Places:
Q. Why do igloos keep people warm?
A. A house made of ice does not sound warm. But people who live in frozen places can make an igloo very comfortable. A fire can warm the small space, but it will not melt the ice walls. The igloo also blocks the freezing wind.
History:
Q. Why did Egyptians make mummies?
A. Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. They wanted to preserve their bodies for the next life. A mummy is a dead body that has been dried and wrapped in strips of linen cloth so that it will not rot.
I set out to read a chapter a day with my daughter starting with the Human Body, but we both enjoyed the fun facts and pictures so much we continued onto to Animals and Nature. My older daughter also took interest and finished the book reading Earth & Space, Inventions, Places and History to her little sister (and I got dinner on the table peacefully too!)
No surprise to me, my daughter’s favorite page is “Why Does Some Food Taste Good?” Fun facts with a picture of an enormous lollipop! And here I thought she’d be sick of candy by now…
We also enjoyed many of the animal facts including “Why Can Hummingbirds Stop in the Air?” After seeing a hummingbird earlier in the day, my daughter learned that this hummingbi
rd was able to flutter the way it did because they beat their wings more than 50 times every second! They are such powerful flyers that they can slow down and stop in the air. They can even fly backward!
We’ve read through this book many times already and it never seems to get old. In fact, my daughters like to quiz each other on the answers when they play school. With so many kid-friendly questions and answers, fun filled facts and colorful photographs, X-Why-Z is a fabulous find for any child.
“It is with great pride that TIME For Kids presents X-Why-Z as the first title in our highly anticipated new series of books for children ages four to six,” said Bob Der, Editorial Director, TIME For Kids. “X-Why-Z is the perfect reference book for children and a great conversation starter for parents to have with their children. It’s a book that kids will come back to again and again.”
X-Why-Z (Time Home Entertainment Inc.; $14.95) is on sale now and available at www.timeforkids.com/xwhyz and at retailers nationwide.
About TIME For Kids
TIME For Kids is a weekly classroom news magazine that motivates kids to read! Issues cover a wide range of real-world, and topics in the news kids want to learn about. A powerful teaching tool, TIME For Kids builds reading and writing skills.
Disclosure – This product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.
About Emily:
Emily is also very active in the local MOMS CLUB. The mother of two girls, ages 7 and 3, Emily also cares for her lovable old shihtzu, a frisky kitty and a flock of egg-laying chickens. Originally from Wisconsin, Emily transplanted to Pacific Northwest after college to be with the handsome, sweet guy she met on Spring Break. They have now been married for 10 years. Emily hates housecleaning, loves wine and enjoys dining out. She would love to find a cure for the depression and anxiety she has dealt with on and off since early adulthood, just like me. She is an amazing mom and friend. You can follow Emily on Twitter @EastSeattleMama.