Why Don’t Cars Run on Apple Juice?: Real Science Questions from Real Kids

Growing minds need to know, and this terrific new science book uses a big serving of humour to help nurture children’s (and adults’) thirst for answers.

Why Don’t Cars Run on Apple Juice? was created from questions asked by children at the Ontario Science Centre. Answers came from educators and science researchers who work at the Science Centre. And then author Kira Vermond and illustrator Suharu Ogawa worked their magic to turn the questions and answers into a treasure-trove of quirky information.

The format of the book is very visually appealing with colourful cartoon-style graphics well-suited to the humorous presentation of an eclectic collection of 50 questions and answers. Chapters include “Whipping Up a Batch of Planet Earth”, “Creeping, Crawling, Living Things”, “Human Bodies from the Inside Out”, “Stars, Moons, Planets, and “Outer Space”, and “Big Ideas About Past, Present, and Future”.

Although there is no glossary, there is a list of “Further Readings and Sources” which includes at least one reference for each question. Because questions will beget questions, having a starting point for continuing any line of inquiry will be helpful.

One of the invaluable strengths of this book is that it makes it clear that no question is too silly to ask, even the questions about toots and poo. Every question is validated with a scientific answer.

The “Conclusion” acknowledges that today’s scientific knowledge is the accumulated wisdom from past questioners.

Think Einstein could have dreamed that his questions about space, time, and gravity would eventually give computer programmers the scientific foundation they needed to make today’s map software work properly? No way. But those questions did, even if it took many decades.

Why Don’t Cars Run on Apple Juice? shines with wonderment. Make sure you read it yourself before you put it into circulation in your classroom or library because, once you share it with your students, there will be a waiting list to read it. You may even want to buy two copies.

In case you’re wondering why cars don’t run on apple juice, the answer is on page 19. Happy reading.