book to answer the How? What? Where? questions from a 3 year old

[mckenzie]

Our 3 and a hlf year old DS has just started asking questions non-stop, all day every day. Where do bananas come from?
How are trains made?
How can birds fly?
Who made the sky?
etc etc.

Can anyone recommend a book that I could get that we can look at together but that will still answer the more technical questions like the making of a train etc?

Thanks in advance.

We had - how do buildings stand up?

Children's encyclopaedia? I had a brill one when I was little but its not in print anymore. And its obviously somewhat out of date (didn't even mention the space shuttle).

Sorry, MacKenzie. All I ever told my children was ... ask your father.

They would ask questions like why is the sky on top of the day? It was too much and so I gave it all to DH [wicked grin emoticon]

I used to fire it back at DS

ie

'Where do bananas come from?'

'Where do you think they come from?'

and then get him to think up an answer ... realistic or completely barking mad

it was fun ....

McKenzie - a great set of books are the Kingfisher 'I wonder why' books. The Book People have set of 12 at the moment for £8.99, which is fantastic value. (When you get to the site, look in the "kids non-fiction" section.) Obviously they don't have all the answers to everything! But the question/answer format, might make it of particular interest to your ds.

HTH

At least you can try and answer the questions. My 3YO comes up with:-

Who lives there mummmy?
Where is that man going?
Whats that ladies name?
Why is that person wearing brown trousers?

etc, etc, etc. Aaaarrrrggghhh!

DS said "I've just noticed something mummy"
'What ?' says I
"We are spinning around the sun" he says

Not bad for a 4 year old !

I must have spent 15 minutes today trying to explain was a typewriter is (was ?) !!

allow me furball

Who lives there mummmy?
...ghosts

Where is that man going?
... to buy a melon

Whats that ladies name?
... mabel

Why is that person wearing brown trousers?
... cos he has no sense of style

good as any other answer I feel

thanks for the tips guys. I shall definitely try Twiglett's idea of asking the question back at him. Especially if I really dont know the answer!!

It's not a book, but this website answers a lot of questions, it is called howstuffworks.com

Twiglett - Thats what I do do. Trouble is now, questions still keep comming thick and fast as surely if I know those questions I must know everything! LOL

DD age 3 always asks who made stuff in what kind of factory. I started using people at work's names when 'a man' or 'a lady' didn't suffice. Trouble was she used to catch me out by asking the same thing twice and I'd forget who I'd said before but she didn't! Plus one girl objected to being the lady who made the wee knobbly bits on the underside of toilet seats (yes the questions were that specific)

I have just bought an excellent book called the car book and it has lots of types of tranport with aceteate (sp) pages showing how things are built. I am not exlainning it very well and my drunk dp is "helping" me proof read my messages. But it is very good and it has no words in it.

book

This gives a better expaination

"how is chicken made?" From our 3 year old as he watches us tuck into chicken casserole...

Twiglett - ditto!! I fire the question back too!

OR, through total exhaustion say I don't know or make it up!