Kid's books are a dime a dozen but this book sticks out to me enough to write a two cent review on it. Every time I pick up this book I have to take a look at it. I think it it's a great educational book that I enjoyed reading to my child.

Luckily, my son has outgrown his "Why?" stage....for the most part. The "why" questions have slowed down a lot but the few that he does ask are much more complicated and are quickly passed to dad.

Age
You will know when to buy this book...when every sentence begins with "why". This is suitable for pre-schoolers to early readers. I think the actual age is 2nd grade which would be appropriate for reading on their own, however I think it would also be appropriate for children a little younger.

Each question has one paragraph to answer the question. The answer is not going to get them an A in science class, but it satisfies the curiosity of a 4 or 5 year old and it reads quick enough for a 6 or 7 year old.

Here is an example:

Question: Why does the ocean taste salty, but the rivers don't?

Answer: "On their way to the ocean, rivers pick up salt from rocks and soil that have salt in them. River water empties the salt into the ocean, which stays salty because the ocean doesn't flow anywhere. But rivers stay fresh because they keep getting new water from rain and streams to wash the salt to the ocean."

It would be possible for a first or second grader to read it themselves. This is probably a book that you will want to read to your child. The one paragraph description can bring about many different dialogs between reader and child. (which could be a good thing or bad thing depending on what time of night you start reading)

Illustrations
This book has a lot of colors or pictures to look at. There is color on almost every inch of every single page even if it's just blue for the sky or green for the grass. The pictures are very large, realistic, and easy to identify. The items on the pages are to a minimum with mostly background scenery so the child will not be easily distracted.

There are two children represented in the book. One is a white boy with yellow hair, and the other is a girl with dark complexion and long black hair in a pony tail. There is also a dog, frog, and pelican in most pictures.

Physical Aspects
This book is a glossy hardback with no dust jacket (that I know of). The pages are sized at 8-1/2 x 11. The left and the right page together make one picture and cover one topic so you don't have to turn the page to get the answer to a question.

The paper is sturdy high quality paper that is semi-glossy. It will not tear easily and any marks or wet spots probably wouldn't go through to the other side.

Contents
Why do I have to take a bath?
How does soap make bubbles?
Where does the dirty water go?
how does the dirty water get cleaned?
Who lives in the river?
How does a tadpole turn into a frog?
Do fish drink?
How do fish stay underwater?
Why do ducks have webbed feet?
Why do boats float?
Where do rivers go?
Why does the ocean taste salty, but rivers don't?
Who lives in the ocean?
How deep is the ocean?
Why doesn't the ocean overflow?
Where does rain come from?
How do my clothes dry?
Why do I get thirsty?
How does water turn into ice?
Does everything need to drink water?
How does the water get hot?
Is there enough water for everyone?

What I think
I think the answers are very concise and to the point. They answer a lot of question while avoiding vocabulary that would need to be explained at that age level. I would prefer to read this to my child than books that they choose. This is a nice book to broaden their horizons from the traditional super hero books with a boring predictable plot.

Where to buy
This book retails for $12.00 or less. There are several on half.com for $1.00 or $2.00. I'm guessing you won't find it cheaper than that!

Details
ISBN 0-7835-0850-6
Title: Do Fish Drink? First Questions and Answers about Water.
Copyright 1993
Time-Life for Children
Writer: Jacqueline A. Ball + designed, produced, and directed by many others.











Recommended: Yes