Why Is Snot Green? »

GLENN MURPHY gathered many of the questions he includes in this book from his years in the Explainer team at the Science Museum in London. He now lives in Raleigh, NC.

PREPARE TO LAUGH AND LEARN

Scientific answers to mysteries kids really want to know.

Sure a lot of kids want to grow up to be astronauts, but according to scientist Glenn Murphy, even MORE kids want to know what happens to astronaut farts. (Short answer: Not good things!) And they want to know: Why don't all fish die from lightening storms? Why haven't we all been sucked into a black hole? Do animals talk? Told in a back-and-forth conversational style, Why is Snot Green? presents science just the way kids want to learn it—with lots of laughter.

VOYA

Books of fascinating facts with catchy titles are simply made for youthful readers, and this one is certainly no exception. Murphy, an educational presenter at a London museum, compiles the questions young visitors asked him and, in a simple but never condescending style, provides the answers in dialogues between a freckle-faced boy and a mustachioed, mad scientist. Bodily functions, outer space, scary animals, and other weird and wonderful topics are covered in breezy question-and-answer format, perfect for browsing or reading aloud to parents and peers. Scratchy cartoonish drawings scattered throughout the text add to the book's many charms. Words used in the text are defined in sidebars and an index will assist readers in finding the funniest or grossest facts with which to regale adults and peers. Suggestions for further reading would have been a useful addition to the volume, but librarians and media specialists undoubtedly will receive increased patron demands for more books about sharks, catastrophic weather, UFOs, and the other equally captivating topics covered within this little book. Although this adult reader, who was utterly enthralled by much of the information, might have preferred a different and more genteel title, young readers will delight in asking for this book by name. The reading level seems geared towards younger teens, but older reluctant readers will find both format and subject matter appealing. Public libraries and media centers should acquire multiple copies, if possible, to meet certain demand. Reviewer: Jamie S. Hansen