How Come? Planet Earth

THE WHYS OF THE WORLD

Know the answers: about quicksand and chameleons, butterfly wings and the bounce inside a rubber ball. A direct follow-up to the bestselling How Come?, HOW COME? PLANET EARTH explains 125 mysteries about the world we think we know best. Here are questions about Earth—how volcanoes erupt and why oceans don't overflow. Questions about animals, from camels' humps to a cat's purr. Questions about people—sleepwalking, warts, and why bruises are black and blue—and a section called "Factory Field Trip," on how we make things from mummies to chewing gum to microwave ovens.

A NOTE TO PARENTS: No one remembers all those science facts, but HOW COME? PLANET EARTH and the original How Come? help with even the trickiest science questions. So the next time your child asks why stomachs growl or how a jet airplane works, here are the answers.

Kids never stop asking questions. And Kathy Wollard, whose Los Angeles Times syndicated column "How come?" appears in newspapers around the world, never stops answering them. In five years since the first How Come? was published, Ms. Wollard has written hundreds of columns addressing the whys, whats, wheres, and hows sent in by her readers.

A direct follow-up to the original How Come?, How Come? Planet Earth is packed with lively, engagingly written, and often wittily illustrated answers to questions that kids have about the natural world around them. There are questions about animals - Why are electric eels electrical? (the charges not only help them find their way around in the dark, but act as a defense system). About human body - Where does the fat go when you lose weight? (it's burned up inside the muscles for energy). About Earth science - Why are storm clouds gray? (they contain a lot of water, which absorbs more sunlight than an ordinary cloud does, so storm clouds appear ominously dark). And just about everyday stuff - How do they make chewing gum? Why are diamonds the hardest material on Earth? Why do dogs bark?

For all kids who want to know (and all kids want to know), and for the parents who can't always explain it to them (no parents know every answer), How Come? Planet Earth is the perfect reference and companion.

Children's Literature

This follow-up to the best-selling title How Come? provides questions and answers to some of the most intriguing mysteries about our planet and its inhabitants. What makes a volcano erupt? What causes the sound of thunder? How do animals communicate without language? Why do people sneeze? Why do we need sleep? How does a refrigerator work? The author addresses approximately 125 questions about the natural world, animals, people and man-made innovations. In addition to perceptive, easy-to-understand answers, this resource also contains humorous illustrations and interesting facts. Every family should have a copy of this fun and informative reference book. 1999, Workman Publishing, Ages 8 up, $12.95. Reviewer: Debra Briatico—Children's Literature

Kathy Wollard is the author of Newsday's popular "How Come?" column. She has physics and journalism degrees from New York University, and has written about science and health for Self, Scholastic, Popular Science, and Family Fun magazines. A former New Yorker, she and her husband, author Evan Morris, now live in rural Ohio. They have one son.

Debra Solomon is an illustrator and animator whose short films have won awards at film festivals around the world. She created the animated Lizzie McGuire character for the hit Disney show. She also wrote the award-winning kids' books Oh Brother! and Oh Sister!, and co-authored A Good Friend and 101 Uses for an Ex-Husband. Ms. Solomon lives in New York City.