Simple Science

Catherine Ripley quenches kids' thirst for knowledge in Why? The Best Ever Question and Answer Book About Nature, Science, and the World Around You illus. by Scot Ritchie. Under the category "Supermarket Questions" comes an explanation of why some eggs are brown and some white ("It depends on the type of chickens that laid them"). "Outdoor," "Bathtime" and "Farm Animal" questions sections are also included. Bright, cartoonish and often humorous illustrations help demonstrate the answers. (Owl [Firefly, dist.], $16.95 192p ages 3-8 ISBN 1-894379-25-X; Nov.)

Using an oblong format, brief text and simple hands-on activities, Seymour Simon and daughter-in-law Nicole Fauteux launch the Let's Try It Out series and teach basic science concepts with Let's Try It Out in the Air and Let's Try It Out in the Water, both illus. by Doug Cushman. In the first title, an illustration of a boy dangling a limp balloon in front of puzzled pets begs the question: "What happens when you fill a balloon with air?" A suggested activity—blowing up a balloon and using it "to play volleyball with your friends"—explains why the balloon stays aloft then floats to the ground. The second title asks kids to imagine a day at the beach but features activities they can try in a wading pool or bathtub. (S&S, $15 each 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-689-82918-3; -82919-1; Nov.)

Read & Touch

Two Lift & Touch books by Noelle Carter teach textures and adjectives. In Where's My Fuzzy Blanket? a cat asks, "Is my fuzzy blanket in the refrigerator?" Children open the refrigerator door to find the answer: "No, it's not. But there is a bunch of grapes in crinkly wrap." In Where's My Squishy Ball? a search by a cat and mouse team yields a "ridgy fence" of corrugated cardboard and "scratchy sand" made from sandpaper. (Scholastic/Cartwheel, $6.95 each 14p ages 1-4 ISBN 0-590-44466-2; -47385-9; Dec.)

The star of You're the Boss, Baby Duck and more is back in Baby Duck and the Cozy Blanket by Amy Hest, illus. by Jill Barton, whose fuzzy yellow tummy peeks out of the cut-away cover. Inside, little ones can touch the "sticky jam" that has soiled the blanket then put it in the "straw basket" on washing day. The newly cleaned "cozy blanket" is ready for cuddling up with in the end. (Candlewick, $10.99 14p ages 2-5 ISBN 0-7636-1582-X; Feb.)

Usborne's Touchy-Feely board book series also features a variety of textures. In Kittens and Puppies by Fiona Watt, illus. by Rachel Wells, a pack of pets enjoys the same activities, but in every scene there's an out-of-step oddball. In the end, youngsters learn there's something that all kittens or puppies like to do. (EDC/Usborne, $10.95 each 10p ages 6mos.-4yrs. ISBN 0-7945-0099-4; -0101-X; Jan.)

In a slightly smaller format, That's Not My Lion joins a series of Touchy-Feely titles, also by Watt and Wells, which displays tempting textured patches as each book defines the attributes of various animals. After a process of elimination ("That's not my lion. Its ears are too soft"), a white mouse eventually finds the right one. (EDC/Usborne, $7.95 -0047-1; Jan.)

Two titles by Phil Roxbee Cox, illus. by Stephen Cartwright, join Usborne's Farmyard Tales Touch-Feely series. In Woolly's Walk, for instance, a sheep is "looking for some lunch." But Woolly is met by warnings each step of the way (e.g., "Don't eat those flowers, Woolly... the bees might sting your nose." A sample of the woolly coat and the prickly thistles on the thick board book pages let youngsters join the action. Curly's Friends features a porcine star. (EDC/Usborne, $7.95 each 10p ages 6mos-4yrs -0039-0; -0040-4; Jan.)

Usborne's Mini Farmyard Tales with Key Ring sets include Naughty Sheep and Pig Gets Stuck. Each features a tiny book—with simpler text on top and more advanced text on the bottom so adult and child can read together—and a tiny plush toy on an easy-to-open key ring. (EDC/Usborne, $6.95 each ages 4-7 -0067-6; -0063-3; Jan.)

DK's My First Word Touch and Feel oversize board book links words to pictures and, in each full-color spread, two textures. A spread for "Around the House," for instance, shows a "blanket" and a "telephone" and invites youngsters to "Stroke the furry teddy bear" and "Feel the squishy bath sponge" (shaped like a duck). (DK, $9.95 10p ages 1-4 ISBN 0-7894-7931-1; Nov.)

Liberally accented by sparkling silver glitter, Kate Spohn's Snow Play captures the simple joys of winter as a baby bear travels to grandma's house. "Snow under trees/ Snow on air/ Snow on leaves/ Snow on bear," reads the rhyming text. The quatrain pattern repeats throughout. A palette of pinks, lavenders and cool blues reflects a sun-on-snow iridescence. (Scholastic/Cartwheel, $11.95 24p ages 2-5 ISBN 0-439-26713-7; Nov.)

Super Heroes and Secret Agents

Readers can uncover the secrets of two superheroes in Batman: The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight by Scott Beatty and Spider-Man: The Ultimate Guide by Tom DeFalco. The first, for example, opens with the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents, then tracks Wayne's transformation into the evil-avenging "Guardian of Gotham" and includes reproductions of many drawings from the archives of DC Comics. The latter chronicles the adventures of Peter Parker, who gains unusual powers after being bitten by an irradiated spider, with reproductions of drawings from the Marvel Comics archives. Each contains more than 700 illustrations. (DK, $19.95 each 128p ages 8-up ISBN 0-7894-7865-X; -7946-X; Oct.)

Code Master: Secret Agent! by David Seidman, illus. by The Dynamic Duo Studio, challenges young sleuths to fight a quartet of enemy invaders—"Eve L. Skeems," "Uglie Ansmelbad," "Mr. Hurt" and "Dr. May Q. Sik"—otherwise known as "The Nastonians." Designed like a vault, with a reprogrammable coded lock in its center, the kit contains a "Challenge Book," "Spy Manual," "Secret Agent ID card" and more. (Innovative Kids, $19.99 32p ages 8-12 ISBN 1-58476-072-9; Nov.)

Design the Future, Discover the Past

Amateur architects can learn about each stage of skyscraper-making from the planning stage to putting on the "cladding," or exterior, in Skyscrapers! Super Structures to Design and Build by Carol Johmann, illus. by Michael Kline. A brief history of the skyscraper precedes a series of hands-on learning activities, including determining the best foundation and then constructing a frame. The author intersperses information about the Sears Tower, the Woolworth Building and San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid. (Williamson/Kaleidoscope Kids, $10.95 paper 96p ages 8-14 ISBN 1-885593-50-3; Nov.)

Great Building Stories of the Past by Peter Kent explains the history and construction techniques behind such marvels as the Great Wall of China, the Brooklyn Bridge and Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok airport. Illustrations and graphs provide illuminating details. Index included. (Oxford, $18.95 48p ages 7-up ISBN 0-19-521846-9; Mar.)

Readers can analyze soil, make an oil lamp like those used by the Greeks and Romans, and emulate the work of Mary Leakey, who estimated the height of ancient animals by examining fossilized footprints in Archaeology for Kids: Uncovering the Mysteries of Our Past by Richard Panchyk. Each chapter offers an overview of a historical epoch then describes the pioneering efforts of archeologists who, in later years, worked to uncover the period. (Chicago Review, $14.95 paper 160p ages 9-up ISBN 1-55652-395-5; Nov.)