Really Big Questions

Really Really Big Questions About Me

Written by Dr Stephen Law and illustrated by Marc Aspinall 

(Kingfisher)

Have you ever wondered...

Where did I come from? 

What am I made of? 

Why do I have a belly  button? 

Why am I lucky? 

How do I know I'm not dreaming? 

Where is my mind?*

Can I move things with my mind? 

Could I swap bodies with someone? 

The answers to all of these questions, and many more, can be found 

here:

With clear explanations and bright illustrations, this is the perfect book for anyone who wonders about... Well, anything really! 

*in the water, see it swimming. 

I Wonder Why...

Have you ever wondered why rainforests grow so high? 

Or why stars shine? 

Why kings lived in castles? 

Or why racing cars go fast? 

Are you curious about why the Earth shakes? 

Have you ever pondered the need for dinosaurs to have spikes? 

Or wondered why the tide comes in? 

Well, look no further because we have the answers to these questions, and more! 

They can be found within the 10 little books housed in this excellent travel pack, the Question Express! 

Hooray!

NOT-FOR-PARENTS

How to be a World Explorer 
(Your all-terrain training manual), Lonely Planet

Ever wanted to know how to avoid a Piranha attack? 

Or how to escape from quicksand?

Have you ever wondered how you would go about building an igloo?
(Hint: make sure you store your equipment INSIDE your shelter... One polar explorer left his shovel outside and wasn't able to dig himself out for SIX WEEKS after a snow storm buried it his tent!)

How close to water are you if you spot a frog?

All of the answers to these questions, and MANY MORE, are waiting for you inside...

How to be a World Explorer (Your all-terrain training manual)



And in
Extreme Planet 
(Exploring the most extreme stuff on earth!), Lonely Planet

there is plenty of information about the HOTTEST things on the planet
the REDDEST things
the YELLOWEST
(did you know that yellow anacondas have markings like a leopard?)
the most PAINFUL
and the NOISIEST
(Pistol Shrimps stun their dinner by making noise at it!)

also it has information about
Pichiciegos, also known as
Pink Fairy Armadillos*

images from http://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/the-pink-fairy-armadillo/

*are these not the greatest creatures you have ever laid eyes on?!?!?!?!?!?!!

Small and Tall Tales of Extinct Animals

Did you know that there used to be GIANT WOMBATS in Australia? Known as Diprotodons, they were as big as rhinos, and they were the biggest marsupials. EVER. 

There also used to be giant echidnas! Three times the size of our current echidnas! 

Turns out that Thylacines weren't particularly fast runners. In fact, they were a little bit clumsy. But they could leap like kangaroos! 

And lemurs the size of humans known as Tratratratras used to live in Madagascar! 

I knew none of these things until I looked through this beautifully illustrated book:

  Small and Tall Tales of Extinct Animals 

by Helene Rajcak and Damien Laverdunt (Gecko Press)

It is my new favourite. While it makes me quite sad that so many extremely fascinating animals are now extinct (many of them because of humans), it is also VERY interesting and complete with great illustrations and informative cartoons. 

Extraordinary Endangered Animals

by Sandrine Silhol, Gaelle Guerive and Marie Doucedame (Abrams). 

Visually stunning, this book is full of facts and photos of endangered animals from around the world. With entries on everything from Komodo Dragons to Tree Kangaroos, standouts include the Amazon River Dolphin (did you know these dolphins have a brain capacity 40% larger than that of humans?!) and the particularly adorable Sea Otter (when the otters get sleepy they wrap themselves in algae so they don't drift away on the tides!). 

Animals are just so wonderful! And this book does them justice.