Book Review: The Big Book of What? – Not Your Average Encyclopedia

by Contributing Blogger Maytal Wichman

As a mom I’m always looking for fun ways to teach my kids and broaden their horizons. Kids’ encyclopedias area a great source of general knowledge and fun facts. The Big Book of What is different from most Kids’ encyclopedias though. It discusses subjects and facts that even most adults don’t know and in a very engaging way that young kids can understand. (Read more after the jump)

I recently received a copy of The Big Book of What for review. A follow up to The Big Book f Why and The Big Book of How, this book was written by the editors of Time for Kids Magazine and features 801 facts for kids ages 8 and up. My husband and I have been reading selections of it to our 5 and a half year old daughter and she loved learning all the facts (although some of it was, naturally, over her head). Every page contains surprising facts and trivia and some chapters even contain activities and experiments, such as “Create your own solar eclipse”. The pictures are colorful and gorgeous and there’s also a glossary in the back. Here are the chapters, plus my favorite question from each:

1. Animals – What are some fish that can walk?
2. Space – What is the earth’s largest meteorite?
3. The Human Body – What are some ways people learn?
4. Weather & Climate – What is the Northeast Passage?
5. Food – What are some insects you can eat?
6. Survival – What is the lowest body temperature a person has survived?
7. Sports – What is zorbing?
8. History – What did the Tuskegee Airmen do?
9. Holidays & Festivals – What is Tanabata?
10. Mysteries – What was the Roanoke Colony?
11. Inventions – What is a Rube Goldberg Machine?
12. The Future – What will we be eating for dinner?

If you’re curious to know the answers to these and many other fascinating questions you can buy the book here for $11.

I was not paid for this post. I did receive a book for review purposes.

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Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been l been living in New York City for twelve years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 6, 4 and a baby) and loves finding great products that make her family’s life easier.