Big Questions from Little People: And Simple Answers from Great Minds

I love this book! It charms and fascinates children and adults alike. This has become my standby gift for my friends' kids. I read it cover to cover before giving the first copy away. I gave one at a baby shower just last week, and one colleague read one of the questions and answers aloud and had a little circle of adults around her, enjoying the storytime.

This book had a great variety of questions and answers and would be a lot of fun for parents to read together with their children. My only criticism is that the question about "god" should have had an answer about how many of us believe that god was something invented by man many years ago to help us explain things that science could not yet explain (but of course now we are getting much better at understanding the universe without supernatural influences).

The very best thing about this book is the questions that the kids came up with and the realization that even over-educated adults couldn't hope to answer a fraction of them. The second best thing is the answers provided by mostly British public intellectuals and celebrities, few of whom most Americans would recognize, but all of which have been crafted by the editor into what she calls "simple answers from great minds". Nothing is harder in practice than making things simple, but Elwin Harris has pulled it off brilliantly. An adult will find scores of fascinating facts that never quite got into their formal schooling. You do not have to be a child or have a young child at home to love this little book. If you are a parent of curious children it is a must buy

yes, I liked this book which I plan to give to my grand daughter. From England, there were terms I understood ( like "jumper" for sweater) but wondered if a kid in the US would "get". Not a problem- a good learning tool., Or "wee" instead of "pee". I read the whole thing. Since Bronwyn is only 9 months old, it will be awhile before she reads it....

I highly recommend this book. I love, love, love it, and so does my daughter (age 6). We started reading it together a month or so ago and enjoy picking topics to learn about together (you don't have to read the chapters in order). Sometimes, she likes to reread the chapters she's already read. We usually read fiction at night but this is great for a break in between. It's also a good book to keep in the car, as the chapters are short and interesting. You can reread it again and again and not get bored.

We truly enjoy reading this book to the kids before bed. It is educational and it is written in a way that the kids understand. The questions they cover are questions that my kids sometimes ask and I really enjoy that the answers are given by individuals who are experts in that field.

I bought this as a birthday gift for my 8 year old after reading an article about the author and the idea behind the creation of this book. It was an instant hit, she didnt put it down for a few weeks then it disappeared. I figured she was tired of it and had moved on to another book or activity. A week or so later I attended a class activity at her school (2nd Grade), I was shocked and surprised when the teacher told the class that it was their weekly reading time and were going to continue reading from my daughter's book!Apparently the teacher had heard my daughter and another child discussing one of the many questions in there and wanted the whole class to participate, so my daughter handed her the book and it has now become a weekly section of their class, the school has also ordered a few more copies for other classes.I must say that it is the best 16 dollars I have ever spent! I will say that some of the questions will be for older kids than 8, so the material should cover ages 6 to 12 or 14.

My grandson just had his 10th birthday. He likes to read, and I am the "book grandma." He loved the book, read it cover to cover in less than two days, and has read it several times since. I also ordered one for him to give as a birthday present to his best friend,I haven't read it myself, but it was a great success for the boys.