How Come? In The Neighborhood

The 125 questions are all derived from the experiences central to a kid's world - stuff that happens at home, in the garden, at school, on holiday. There are the inevitable insect questions - "Why do bees die after they sting someone?" (the honeybee's stinger is barbed, and can't detach from the bee without pulling out its venom sac, a fatal injury). Food questions - "Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?" (a fruit, in fact a berry). Science questions - "We used dry ice in our school play to make fog. How does it do that?" (Unlike water, carbon dioxide goes straight from gas to solid and back - when frozen as dry ice, it "melts" into fog.) And the classic: "Why can't we tickle ourselves?" (Tickling depends on the element of surprise - and the brain can't surprise itself.)