# How and Why Wonder Books **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 6, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185 "2010-06-06T18:53:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/1 "2010-06-06T18:53:29Z")
Hi all, I was just wondering if I was the only one who remembers these books? They were children’s books on a variety of historical and science topics that were organized as a group of questions and answers. Some of the topics --especially some of the historical ones-- were boring to my young self but when I was a kid I loved them and directly credit them with how well I did in elementary school. There only web site I have found covering is this one: [http://www.rocketroberts.com/how\_and\_why/how\_and\_why.htm](http://www.rocketroberts.com/how_and_why/how_and_why.htm) Does anyone else have fond memories of these? Or remember them at all? ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/2 "2010-06-06T18:57:15Z")
You’re certainly not the only one to remember 'em! [Here’s a past reminiscing thread on this series of books](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=518558). Viva nostalgia! And [here’s another site (linked in the OP of that thread) devoted to remembering them.](http://members.optusnet.com.au/intabits/HowAndWhy.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/3 "2010-06-06T23:38:20Z")
No, I remember them too. There was a characteristic style of drawing (they never seemed to have photos, which would have been much cheaper, I’m guessing) that I get nostalgic for. My favourite as a kid was one related to space exploration. It had cool illustrations of the X-15, and something called the Dyna-Soar - a manned re-usable vehicle which was promoted as the Next Big Thing in space flight, but which was obviously abandoned (presumably in favour of the shuttle). It was pretty much just advertising for NASA, but I loved it! ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/4 "2010-06-07T06:02:22Z")
Loved 'em. I was lucky enough to find a whole bunch at a garage sale for a dime apiece last summer; I walked out of there with about 40 of them. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/5 "2010-06-07T19:56:30Z")
The book on “Dinosaurs”. I remember my father taking me and my sister to the American Museum of Natural History and after being wowed by the dinosaurs, Dad bought me this book (my sister got a chameleon). I later had several other books of the series but “Dinosaurs” was my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/6 "2010-06-07T20:14:39Z")
I know they must be hopelessly dated but if they revised & republished them, I’d buy them all over again. If they didn’t revise them, I’d still buy them all over again! ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/7 "2010-06-08T00:29:49Z")
Thanks for the feedback so far guys, especially the link to the older thread! Glad to know I’m not the only one! ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/8 "2010-06-08T14:50:07Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Hi all, > > I was just wondering if I was the only one who remembers these books? They were children’s books on a variety of historical and science topics that were organized as a group of questions and answers. > > Some of the topics --especially some of the historical ones-- were boring to my young self but when I was a kid I loved them and directly credit them with how well I did in elementary school. There only web site I have found covering is this one: > > [http://www.rocketroberts.com/how\_and\_why/how\_and\_why.htm](http://www.rocketroberts.com/how_and_why/how_and_why.htm) > > Does anyone else have fond memories of these? Or remember them at all? OMFG! I wish I still had my collection. I would amaze my teachers with the knowledge these books contained…I even built some of the devices they talked about (back when chemistry sets contained lethal compounds, and nobody blinked an eye). ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/9 "2010-06-08T16:11:30Z")
Absolutely!! I remember having several–my favorites, the ones on birds, butterflies, and sea shells. I had forgotten about these. Now I’ll have to go looking on ebay! After a thread on here about childhood favorites I was able to track down a copy of my beloved “Wonders of the Animal Kingdom”. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/10 "2010-06-08T16:30:35Z")
Now the big question- what comparable books are available for kids today? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/11 "2010-06-08T16:40:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Now the big question- what comparable books are available for kids today? I don’t know about a series like that, but the magazine **Zoobooks** does it for animals. They advertise on TV and sell it in the zoos around here. I found it fascinating when MilliCal subscribed to it. > **[Home](https://rangerrick.org/)** > > The place for babies, toddlers, and young children to get curious about wildlife through fun animal facts, stories, photos, jokes, puzzles, crafts, videos, recipes, and outdoor play activities. Another series I miss is the [BGolden Guides\*\*: > **[Golden Guide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Guide)** > > The Golden Guides, originally Golden Nature Guides, were a series of 160-page, pocket-sized books created by Western Publishing and published under their "Golden Press" line (primarily a children's book imprint) from 1949. Edited by Herbert S. Zim and Vera Webster, the books were written by experts in their field and featuring realistic color illustrations. > Intended for primary and secondary school level readers, the first books were field guides illustrated by James Gordon Irving, with such ti... These are still around, but fewer of them are available: > **[Birds: A Fully Illustrated, Authoritative and Easy-to-Use Guide (A Golden Guide...](https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Illustrated-Authoritative-Easy-Use/dp/1582381283)** > > Buy Birds: A Fully Illustrated, Authoritative and Easy-to-Use Guide (A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press) on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/12 "2010-06-08T16:53:55Z")
Does anybody remember **George Zaffo**? I still have a copy of this: [![](https://www.mjstemen.com/book_reviews/images/airplanes_fire_engines.jpg) ](https://www.mjstemen.com/book_reviews/images/airplanes_fire_engines.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/13 "2010-06-08T17:28:47Z")
I had: **Rocks and Minerals** , **Dogs** and the **Ballet** one. I forgot all about these until I looked at your link. They were pretty interesting and informative and I learned a bit from them. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/14 "2010-06-08T18:39:37Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Another series I miss is the **Golden Guides** : > > [Golden Guide - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Guide) I spent many hours as a budding young would-be herpetologist poring over the Reptiles & Amphibians one. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/15 "2010-06-08T18:49:39Z")
> [@](#): > > I spent many hours as a budding young would-be herpetologist poring over the Reptiles & Amphibians one. I used them to pass my Boy Scout tests. But my favorite was the **Fossils** guide, which I used to identify the fossils I found behind my house. sadly, nothing really interesting – bryozoans and the like. It’s one of the few still in print, and MilliCal now has a copy of the new Fossils guide. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/16 "2010-06-15T20:29:52Z")
Had some as a kid in the 70’s. Apart from the scientific ones I had one on The First World War detailing “the scrap of paper”, the Lefayette Escadrille, the development of tanks, poison gas and flamethrowers. Amongst others, including, IIRC, “the hell of Kut.” ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/17 "2010-06-15T22:24:20Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > The book on “Dinosaurs”. Dimetrodon was my favourite. I remember him well. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walker_in_Eternity)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-and-why-wonder-books/542185/18 "2010-06-16T09:48:27Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > Dimetrodon was my favourite. I remember him well. 🙂 The Dinosaurs book was my favourite too, I always had a soft spot for Stegosaurus. I also had the Prehistoric Mammals book. I’ll have to look in the atic they may still be up there.