THE KIDS BOOK (and Parents) Judy Galens and Nancy Pear for ANSWER HANDY THE HANDY ANSWER BOOK for KIDS (and Parents) Also from Visible Ink Press The Handy Anatomy Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-190-9 The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents), ISBN 978-1-57859-110-7 The Handy Biology Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-150-3 The Handy Geography Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-062-9 The Handy Geology Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-156-5 The Handy History Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-170-1 The Handy Math Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-171-8 The Handy Ocean Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-063-6 The Handy Physics Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-058-2 The Handy Politics Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-139-8 The Handy Presidents Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-167-1 The Handy Religion Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-125-1 The Handy Science Answer Book ® , ISBN 978-1-57859-140-4 The Handy Sports Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-075-9 The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-196-1 The Handy Weather Answer Book ® , ISBN 978-0-7876-1034-0 Please visit us at visibleink.com . THE Judy Galens and Nancy Pear BOOK KIDS ANSWER HANDY Detroit for (and Parents) The Handy Answer Book™ for Kids (and Parents) COPYRIGHT © 2002 BY VISIBLE I NK PRESS ® Photos used by permission of Corbis and Field Mark Publications This publication is a creative work fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a review- er who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine or newspaper. All rights to this publication will be vigorously defended. Visible Ink Press® 43311 Joy Rd., #414 Canton, MI 48187-2075 Visible Ink Press and The Handy Answer Book are trademarks of Visible Ink Press LLC. Most Visible Ink Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk by corporations, organi- zations, or groups. For more information, contact Special Markets Director at (734) 667-3211 or at visibleink.com. Art Director: Mary Claire Krzewinski Typesetting: The Graphix Group ISBN 1-57859-110-4 Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved 10 9 8 7 6 5 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Galens, Judy, 1968- The handy answer book for kids (and parents) / Judy Galens and Nancy Pear. p. cm. Includes index. Summary: Answers a variety of questions about such topics as nature, weather, geography, city and country life, technology, family life, death, and disabilities. ISBN 1-57859-110-4 (pbk.) 1. Children’s questions and answers. [1. Questions and answers.] I. Pear, Nancy. II. Title. AG195 .G25 2001 031.02—dc21 2001005608 CIP With some preliminary experience answering a barrage of whos, wheres, whats, and whys coming from her young son Graham, Judy Galens was glad of the opportunity this book gave her to satisfy her own curiosity and prepare for life as the Answer Mom. Judy has worked on a wide array of reference books for kids and adults, covering sub- jects from world music to food festivals, from hockey to weather. She has edited a multivolume reference work on the Middle Ages, and she recently co-authored a book for young people called Artists. Nancy Pear wishes that she had had some of the information contained in The Handy Answer Book for Kids right at her fingertips when she was raising her own very inquisitive child a while back. “He asked so many questions!” she recalls. Nancy has worked as an author and editor of reference books for almost 20 years and has written several works for young people. These include three books on explorers and discover- ers and a three-volume set on strange phenomena. About the Authors v INTRODUCTION xi A CKNOWLEDGMENTS xv EARTH, SKY, AND BEYOND . . . 1 Up above the World So High . . . Weather Basics . . . Features of Planet Earth WORLD TOUR . . . 49 Geography Facts . . . Life in the Big City . . . Down on the Farm ME, MYSELF, AND I . . . 77 Growing Up . . . The Brain . . . Bones and Muscles . . . Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow . . . The Skin I’m In . . . Blood Matters . . . Hearing, Seeing, and Smelling . . . Bathroom Talk . . . Feed Me . . . Open Wide . . . What’s Up, Doc? . . . Sleepy Time Contents vii OUR ANIMAL NEIGHBORS . . . 133 Odds and Ends . . . Amazing Animal Behavior . . . Insects, Spiders, and Worms . . . Fish and Other Sea Creatures . . . Reptiles . . . Amphibians . . . Birds . . . Mammals . . . A Day at the Zoo TREES, FLOWERS, AND OTHER GREEN STUFF . . . 201 Plant Basics . . . Seed Facts . . . Flowers . . . The Dark Side of Plants . . . Plants in Extreme Envi- ronments . . . Spore-Bearing Plants . . . Trees . . . Plants As Providers HOW THINGS WORK . . . 233 Transportation . . . Communication . . . Image Mak- ers and Picture Takers . . . Lights and Lasers . . . Hot and Cold . . . Energy HOME LIFE AND SCHOOL DAYS . . . 263 Around the House . . . Playing It Safe . . . Neigh- borhood Transportation . . . Household Pets . . . School Daze MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS . . . 297 Family Members . . . Getting Along . . . Death and Dying viii [...]... as an exemplary standard for all Handy Answer Books to come A special thanks goes to my co-author, Nancy Pear, who unearthed a lot of amazing information for The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) and displayed a gift for presenting complicated concepts in a straightforward, comprehensible, and entertaining way Thank you to my friend Jeff Hermann, who wore not one but two hats for this project—that... covers the difficult subjects of substance abuse and addiction and explores such environmental issues as global warming, acid rain, and fossil fuels The chapter concludes with discussions about fossils and dinosaurs, answering questions about what dinosaurs ate, which ones were the largest, and why they became extinct The Handy Answer Book for Kids explores numerous topics of interest to kids and helps parents. .. out about the world around you Kids have an insatiable hunger for information and a curiosity that winds its way down every road And it’s an adult’s job to help satisfy that yearning for learning—by answering questions when you know how or by pointing kids in the direction of a good reference book when you don’t Written with a child’s imagination in mind, The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) ... worthy candidate for this job And thanks to Marty Connors for taking her up on that suggestion Marty and business partner Roger Janecke also deserve congratulations for the perseverance and downright willfulness that helped raise Visible Ink Press from the ashes My appreciation goes to the many authors and editors of the other Handy Answer Books, whose works provided interesting information and enlightening... the reference book business, I found writing The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) my most challenging project This was in no small part due to the fact that the book was terminated at one point because of corporate downsizing Visible Ink Press received its walking papers, and all works-inprogress—even those approaching completion, like Handy Kids were unceremoniously shelved It would take the. .. provide answers that go beyond “because” and “it just is” and “I don’t know.” The chapters are divided up into manageable subsections, and a detailed subject index offers an additional avenue for accessing information The section called For More Information” provides a list of books and web sites that can help satisfy kids appetites for knowledge And more than 120 photographs spread throughout the book. .. through the year, it tilts on its axis in the other direction Then the winter season comes to the Northern Hemisphere, and the Southern Hemisphere enjoys summer This tilt of Earth also explains why the length of days varies throughout the year In the summer, more direct solar rays give us longer days The Sun is a star, just like the twinkling heavenly bodies we see at night, far off in the dark sky But the. .. the time of the year and the location on Earth of the observer 11 What is the Big Dipper? he Big Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Major, or the Great Bear It can be easily seen on a clear night in the Northern Hemisphere any time of the year The seven stars in this group resemble a large water dipper with a long handle The Big Dipper is useful in locating the nearby Little Dipper, part of the. .. plants, oxygen the gas essential for animal life—would not be released into the atmosphere How was the universe created? There are many ideas about how the universe was formed The most popular one is called the “big bang” theory It is thought that at the beginning of time, all the matter and energy in the universe was concentrated in a very small space or volume that exploded Eventually, the matter left... seasons? 8 Earth’s complete orbit around the Sun takes about 365 days, or one year During the course of the orbit, Earth tilts on its axis When the northern end of Earth tilts toward the Sun, it receives more of the Sun’s direct rays These rays warm the Northern Hemisphere and its summer season arrives At the same time, winter comes to the Southern Hemisphere, which then receives less-direct solar rays . BOOK for KIDS (and Parents) Also from Visible Ink Press The Handy Anatomy Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-190-9 The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) , ISBN 978-1-57859-110-7 The Handy Biology Answer. 978-1-57859-170-1 The Handy Math Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-171-8 The Handy Ocean Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-063-6 The Handy Physics Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-058-2 The Handy Politics Answer Book, . 978-1-57859-139-8 The Handy Presidents Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-167-1 The Handy Religion Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-125-1 The Handy Science Answer Book ® , ISBN 978-1-57859-140-4 The Handy Sports Answer