The Little Book of Big Questions - Hardcover

French, Jackie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1550376551 ISBN 13: 9781550376555

Publisher: Annick Press, 2000

Synopsis

Finally, a book for kids that is not afraid to ask the BIG questions.

The Little Book of Big Questions addresses a whole lot of questions kids often wonder about. Usually there is no simple answer. For each question, different theories and opinions are illustrated, with easy-to-grasp examples and comparisons.

How did the universe begin?
What happens when you die?
How are humans different from animals?
Do aliens exist?
Why isn't life fair?
How do we know what is right or wrong?

How far away are the stars?
Stars are too far away to measure in miles or kilometers, so astronomers use light years.
A light year is the distance light travels in a year. One light year is nearly 10 million million km (or 6 million million miles) -- that's 10 with another 12 zeros behind it!

Should we transplant pig hearts or chimpanzee kidneys into humans?
At first I thought, "Yuk, no," and then I thought, "Hey, wait a minute. If I eat pigs, then why can't I have a pig heart? What's the difference?"

Within each section a variety of related questions are asked and answers are offered. The text is conversational in tone, making the reader feel part of a discussion. This book will answer some questions, but it will also inspire children to probe more deeply, explore further and find out even more answers.

About this title

About the Author:

Jackie French has been puzzling over the BIG questions all her life. She has written over 60 books -- on farming, gardening and pest control as well as award-winning children's fiction. The Little Book of Big Questions was first published in 1998 in Australia. Jackie lives with her husband in New South Wales, Australia.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-6-Loosely organized into 15 subject-oriented chapters, this book delves into basic questions about life and death, the universe, animal intelligence, extraterrestrials, and morality. In her answers, French goes to great lengths to cover all of the most popular theories and scientific observations, but often offers her own opinions as well, particularly in her discussions about eating animals and helping the environment. The format is somewhat tedious with two-to-five "big" questions on each page. Cartoon drawings, in black and blue ink, add a little comic relief to these weighty topics, with animals making astute observations via dialogue balloons. At the end of the book, the author includes some "impossible" questions, such as "How do you explain red to a blind person"; some suggestions about people to ask for help, e.g., a librarian or a minister; and an index. A good choice for small browsers who like to mull over big issues.
Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Annick Press
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1550376551
• ISBN 13: 9781550376555
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 128
• Illustrator: Newbigging Martha