Monday, May 9, 2011

Don't Touch That Toad & Other Strange Things Adults Tell You


"I'm sure you've heard a lot of weird things over time from your parents, your grandparents, or even your teachers. You'll probably find some of those sayings here within these pages. Some of the expressions will thrill you, some will make you think, others will just gross you out, but what you'll find really interesting is where and how these crazy expressions got started as well as how they've been passed along from generation to generation."

"Don't Touch That Toad & Other Strange Things Adults Can Tell You gives it to you straight. Find out if lightning can strike the same place twice, if eating fried foods can cause acne, if an elephant never forgets... Well, what are you waiting for? Get reading!"

The book cover and introduction just about says it all. This 96 page book is a treat for young inquisitive readers. It is divided into four sections: Healthy Habits, Weird Science, Food Fallacies, and Animal Tales. Catherine Rondina gives readers an adult saying such as "Cracking your knuckles can cause arthritis." The author then provides readers with an answer of "True", "False", or "You Decide" based on the scientific evidence that follows. Comical illustrations by Kevin Sylvester can be found on nearly every page.


I was eager to find out about the following sayings:

*Don't eat raw cookie dough, or you'll get worms.
*Don't swallow bubble gum because it takes your body seven years to digest. (Does it really?)
*Don't sit too close to the TV, or you'll ruin your eyes. (My husband used this line just today!)
*A chicken can live without its head. (Gross!)
*A dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's.

And my favorite:


*Eating Pop Rocks candy and drinking a soda pop at the same time will make your stomach explode. (I've been waiting for a long time for someone to explain this one to me!)

Pick this book up! You'll have it devoured in no time!

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

5 comments:

  1. Way to keep us in suspense :) This looks like a fun one, thanks for posting.

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  2. I think my 8-year-old would love this; I just added it to our to-read list.

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  3. Thanks for the comments Sarah and Holly! I became aware of this book through a #TitleTalk via Twitter. I am always looking for engaging nonfiction for my students. This one really does fit the bill!

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  4. Oh, I'm so glad you featured this one. It has been in my Amazon shopping cart for a while because I wasn't sure it would be worth it (although with a title like that, how could you miss, right?)
    Now I will go ahead and order it because I'm pretty sure it will be a hit with my girls.

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  5. Megan/Mouseprints - Thanks for the comment! I had ten minutes at the end of the school day today, so I read some of the sayings to my sixth graders. They voted TRUE or FALSE. Then I read the explanations. They loved it.

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