Written by the dean of children's science books, this colossal resource is a must-have for young scientists ages 9 and up. Revitalized with more than 175 new and revised entries plus 260 freshly colorized illustrations, the book now features more than 2,100 entries that cover all branches of science ... read more
Science Around the House: Simple Projects Using Household Recyclables by Roz Fulcher This charmingly illustrated book shows kids how to conduct basic science experiments using recycled household items. They'll learn about sound waves by making their own kazoos and build a battery, birdbath, windsock, and other items.
Human Anatomy Coloring Book by Margaret Matt, Joe Ziemian Careful, scientifically accurate line renderings of the body's organs and major systems: skeletal, muscular, nervous, reproductive, and more. Numerous views, cross-sections, and diagrams. Suggestions for coloring. Complete text. 43 plates.
My First Human Body Book by Patricia J. Wynne, Donald M. Silver These 28 fun and instructive illustrations offer an entertaining way for children to learn how their bodies work. Simple text answers such questions as: What is a hiccup? and Where is my DNA?
Constellations of the Night Sky by Bruce LaFontaine Large illustrations introduce stargazers of all ages to 22 major constellations, among them Aquarius, Orion, Gemini, and Canis Major. Accompanying text relates mythological story behind each constellation's name.
Body Sense, Body Nonsense by Seymour Simon Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Discover the truth (and falsity) of familiar adages with this illustrated volume of fun facts about the human body.
Deadly Ants by Seymour Simon, William Downey Discover fascinating facts about dangerous ants: how they live and the methods of controlling their damage. Written in direct, easy-to-understand terms, this illustrated volume is suitable for readers of all ages.
Ghosts by Seymour Simon Nine true tales from the spirit world include the exploits of French castle-dwelling phantoms, an English specter that literally scares people to death, White House ghosts of former presidents, and more.
Poisonous Snakes by Seymour Simon, William Downey There are more than 250 kinds of poisonous snakes, and this illustrated book reveals where they live, what they eat, how they behave, and other fascinating facts. 26 illustrations.
The Secret Clocks: Time Senses of Living Things by Seymour Simon, Jan Brett Illustrated explanations of why some plants blossom only in daylight, how birds know when and where to migrate, and other intriguing aspects of human and animal biological clocks. "Fascinating." — School Library Journal.
Strange Mysteries from Around the World by Seymour Simon Discover nine bizarre-but-true incidents: a shower of fish and frogs from the sky; treasure that remains buried, even though its location is known; the sudden disappearance of a ship's crew; and more!
The World Around Us! Hearing by Jillian Phillips These fun-to-color illustrations and other activities teach children about their sense of hearing. Playful pictures show what our ears look like on the inside and how they work, portray a symphony of sounds, and offer kids a look at animal ears.
The World Around Us! Seeing by Jillian Phillips Pictures to color, counting games, and other activities encourage kids to use their eyes. Whimsical illustrations explain the parts of the eye, where tears come from, and other fun facts.
The World Around Us! Smelling by Jillian Phillips, John Kurtz Pictures to color, counting games, and other activities explain how our noses detect the fragrance of flowers and freshly baked cookies and how animals' sense of smell differs from ours. Ages 5–8.
The World Around Us! Tasting by John Kurtz A journey into the sense of taste, this activity-based coloring book teaches young readers about how our tongues detect a variety of flavors with easy-to-color, full-page illustrations. Suitable for ages 5–8.
The World Around Us! Touch by John Kurtz Young readers will learn how we sense heat and cold, how animals' sense of touch differs from ours, and other fascinating facts. Educational fun for ages 5 and up.
Seymour Simon's Silly Riddles and Jokes Coloring Book by Seymour Simon, Dennis Kendrick Why can't you trust zoo animals to take tests? Too many cheetahs! This laugh riot asks and answers a series of wacky riddles in full-page, fun-to-color illustrations of dinosaurs and other animals.
Science Experiments and Amusements for Children by Charles Vivian Seventy-three easy experiments — requiring only materials found at home or easily available, such as candles, coins, steel wool, etc. — illustrate basic phenomena like vacuum, simple chemical reactions, and more. All safe. Modern, well-planned.
Seeing the Sky: 100 Projects, Activities & Explorations in Astronomy by Fred Schaaf, Doug Myers Young students of astronomy will appreciate this introductory treatment and its interesting, instructive, and entertaining activities. All 100 projects require just the naked eye and ordinary household materials.
The Story of Electricity: With 20 Easy-to-Perform Experiments by George de Lucenay Leon Well-told chronicle of significant discoveries in electricity and magnetism over 2500 years; plus how to do famous experiments with compasses, magnets, more. Grades 4-6.
A World in a Drop of Water: Exploring with a Microscope by Alvin Silverstein, Virginia Silverstein Fascinating introduction to the world of single-celled organisms recounts the feeding, reproductive, and defensive strategies employed by an array of curious creatures: amoeba, paramecium, suctorian, hydra, others. Easy-to-understand language, 37 illustrations.
Science Magic Tricks by Nathan Shalit Easy-to-follow instructions, clear illustrations for 50 safe, science-related tricks: making squares and lines disappear, creating a magical doorway out of paper, cutting glass with scissors, and much more.
Science Projects for Young People by George Barr More than 30 safe and entertaining experiments explain the scientific principles behind electricity and magnetism, light and color, water and air, sound and music, plants and animals, and much more.
Great Inventors and Inventions by Bruce LaFontaine Advances in science and technology from the 15th century to the present: 45 ready-to-color drawings of Edison, Gutenberg, Galileo, and many others, along with their inventions. Captions provide background information.
World's Wackiest Inventions by A. E. Brown, H. A. Jeffcott, Jr. Hilarious but real inventions including edible tie pin, automatically tipping hat, metal locket for storing chewed gum — all patented.
Product Description:
Written by the dean of children's science books, this colossal resource is a must-have for young scientists ages 9 and up. Revitalized with more than 175 new and revised entries plus 260 freshly colorized illustrations, the book now features more than 2,100 entries that cover all branches of science from astronomy to zoology. Fascinating features include the origins of hundreds of terms and biographies of prominent scientists. Informative tables cover units of measurement, the periodic table, basic equations, symbols, and scientific suffixes and prefixes. Detailed charts include weather maps and illustrations of the solar system, star magnitudes, the interior of the Earth, atmospheric layers, basic taxonomy, the geological timescale, and many other subjects. Written in lively, straightforward terms, this user-friendly volume answers a myriad of intriguing questions and provides a springboard for a better grasp of our planet and its place in the universe.
Revised reprint of the HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 1994 edition.
Mr. Simon was gracious enough to talk with us about his career as a teacher, his affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution, how humor can get children interested in science, and more.
You're a New York City native and a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, so it sounds like you grew up in a highly urban setting. How and where did your formative experiences with nature take place? I have loved nature since I was a young child. Although I grew up in the Bronx — a very crowded part of New York City — the natural world was all around me. There is weather in the city, just as there is in the country. You can see the sun, moon, and stars from a rooftop in the city. And I explored a vacant lot on my street, which wasn't exactly a park, but still had birds, earthworms, small plants, and trees. In fact, when I grew up, one of the first books I wrote was called Science in a Vacant Lot.
You were a science teacher for more than 20 years, and you've remarked that teaching is the best possible way to learn how to write for kids. Can you offer some examples of what your students have taught you? I'm still a teacher and still a student too, for that matter. Students' interests range wide and deeply. They want to be treated with respect and have their questions answered and have you pay attention to their comments. I'm constantly writing in the same way that I think. There is a famous story that explains my writing too. The story goes that there is a teacher who is teaching a difficult subject and he can see by the expressions on his students' faces that they don't understand what he is teaching. So he teaches it a second time and he can see that they still don’t understand what he is teaching. So he teaches it a third time and finally…HE understands what he is teaching. That's how it goes with me. When I finally get it right, finally I understand what I'm writing and teaching.
Some of your books are authorized by the Smithsonian Institution, which is a highly prestigious endorsement for any science writer. How did your affiliation with them develop? My publisher, HarperCollins made the arrangement with the Smithsonian Institution. What it meant for me is that I had an expert from the Smithsonian editing each of my books, which I am quite sure just made them better! It is indeed an honor to have my name associated with the Smithsonian.
Does your recreational interest in nature photography contribute to your work? I am asked this a lot because there are so many photographs in my books. Sometimes I travel to places myself and take the photographs. I have photographed glaciers in Alaska, volcanoes in Hawaii, wildfires in California and weather in my backyard. Other times, I arrange to use other people's photographs. Often they are specialists — like a scientist who has been living in Antarctica and observing penguin behavior. Someone like that has photographs that I could never get in a single, short trip. I love nature photography, and have done many, many of my books as photo essays because I know that children love these photographs, too.
Some of your books — Body Sense, Body Nonsense, for example — take a playful look at scientific facts, so you must regard humor as a valuable tool in engaging young imaginations. What other approaches can parents and teachers take to get children interested in science and excited by the processes of observation and experimentation? I created a document for teachers called "Writing Exciting Nonfiction." This details many different ways that a nonfiction author can engage young readers. Anyone can download this resource from www.seymoursimon.com.
Bonus Question! Do you have a favorite Dover book? I'm not sure if it is bad form to choose my own book, but I must say that I love Strange Mysteries. I wrote it many years ago, but today's kids are still fascinated by these mysterious, unsolved events.
Use this link to browse all Dover books by Seymour Simon.
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