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

by Catherine Rondina, Kevin Sylvester (Illustrator)

True or "Eating too much sugar will make you hyper." How about, "If you go outside with wet hair, you'll catch a cold." Or, "A mother bird will reject her babies if they have been touched by humans." Each of these "facts" that we've all heard before are actually false, and the real story behind each one is clearly told here in this intriguing and unique book. Poking mild fun at grown-ups throughout, author Catherine Rondina covers a range of warnings, advice and truisms children will be familiar with, and bases all of her judgments on hard science and research. In order for kids to be able to test themselves without peeking, each "fact" is described on the right-facing page, and a page turn reveals the true or false verdict, along with a full explanation. Humorous black-and-white line drawings by Kevin Sylvester liven up the text. The children who love these kinds of juicy compendiums of information may choose to read this one straight through. Teachers will want to keep it handy on a nearby shelf to refer to in many types of science lessons. It also works for exploring the importance of critical thinking and research in order to understand the difference between what seems true and what is true. The " An Overview" at the back of the book offers a list of favorite parental expressions, which could be used for language arts writing assignments or other creative expressions.

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Childrens

96 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2010

Reviews

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

I shared this with a few groups of 5th graders and they were briefly engrossed. Works for me.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives the reader something to think about. On one page is a statement, such as "touching toads gives you warts" - and a page turn gives you the answer - "true" or "false", although some are "you decide."
Chapters are:
Healthy Habits; Weird Science; Food Fallacies; Animal Facts.
Very informative and entertaining.

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting book that explores some of the things we are told as children . Are these things true or false ? The reader will learn through fun illustrations and a witty text, what is and isn't true. This book is fun for both kids and adults.

[Niezapominajka2001 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Przepięknie napisana. Bardzo luźnym i łatwym językiem. Polecam 😀👍

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to read aloud.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My five year old loved this from start to finish. It became a game who could guess if it was true or false and was written in a funny and engaging way for kids.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's quite amazing how many things mentioned in this book that I remember my mother saying to me.

[Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for finding the truth about what your parents tell you.

[Mariana · Rating 2 out of 5]

i liked the book it showed me that a lot of myths i believed in when i was younger were false.

[Deb Tyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"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!

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t Touch that Toad & Other Strange Things Adults Tell You by Catherine Rondina, illustrated by Kevin Sylvester – 3rd grade and up, 4th/5th will really love this too! Non-Fiction – Ok, this isn’t a picture book but it IS a friendly non-fiction book that reads so smoothly, is packed with fascinating facts, and is perfect for my students who only want to read fiction books but need to learn to enjoy non-fiction books as well that I couldn’t pass up sharing it today. This book is humorous, fact packed, interesting, and will be quite popular… as soon as I add it to the library, I highly doubt I’ll see it for a long while! I personally found a few of these facts – false/true- enlightening… for example, did you know that cracking your knuckles doesn’t give you arthritis?! It isn’t healthy for you though… And “You could scare someone to death.” — yes you can!! I knew this since I had that topic pop up in a first aide course I was in a few years ago but yikes to those thrill seekers! I also faithfully believed that eating fried foods would give me acne… sigh… all about healthy balance, as always.

[Susan B · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to read and gain a better understanding for some of the strange things we adults sometimes say. Examples from the book include 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' (false), 'humans use only 10 percent of their brains' (false), 'an elephant never forgets' (true), and 'animals can predict natural disasters' (you decide).

One thing I didn't appreciate was the comment, "Maybe the best health advice is 'Don't listen to adults.'" Parents can have a hard enough time getting their kids to follow instructions without the author giving them permission to show blatant disregard.

Winner of the Silver Birch Award.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of interesting "parentisms" ranging from "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" to "Groundhogs can predict spring". Each explanation includes a humorous illustration, the belief and the science either refuting or verifying the saying.

This quick read offers easily understood insight into many common sayings through research and scientific proof.

Recommended: 8-12 years

Subject/Theme: superstitions
Curriculum: Main Idea with supporting details
Awards: OLA Silver Birch Non-Fiction 2012
Illustrator: Kevin Sylvester

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

All those things you've been told growing up - don't swim after eating, running around like a chicken with its head cut off, don't go outside in the freezing cold with wet hair…. true statements or total lies? Read this book to find out! The authors give scientific evidence, when available to prove, or disprove some of these stories. And for the record, yes, a chicken can sometimes run around after its head has been cut off! Ewww...

[Ezi Chinny · Rating 5 out of 5]

my 7yr old loved this book. It was fun, interesting, full of fun facts dispelling myths we grew up with like the 3 sec rule when your food falls on teh floor, or sitting too close to the television ruining eyesight.
I would recommend this book as an interactive book for a 2-3rd grade and a parent.

[Duane · Rating 3 out of 5]

For kids who want to know the truth behind some of the most commonly heard "Paretisms", this is a great book. From not swimming right after eating to carrots being good for your eyes, this book covers quite a bit of interesting trivia. A nice resource book for your youth non fiction collection.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can you really get sick from going outside in the cold with wet hair? Do you have to wait an hour after eating to go swimming? Can you ruin your eyes by sitting too close to the TV?

This book attempts to either debunk or verify some of the common myths adults tell kids. A fun, quick read.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun true/false explanations of many sayings parents tell their kids, such as the five second rule of food on the floor and animals can predict a storm. Would be fun to share one anecdote (they are very short) before class begins.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

THe kids love this one of odds and ends facts and truths. If I forget a day, they kindly and loudly remind me to read a fact from this book. Easy way to get nonfiction into the classroom and peak interest in various topics.

[Clivemichael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite entertaining although has some questionable suggestions bordering on conjecture disguised as fact and no mention of the danger of licking certain varieties of toad or the dietary value of watermelon seeds.

[Donalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great nonfiction book for kids exploring the truth behind parents' common warnings.

[Marcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can see using this on Friday the 13th or when students are talking about idioms and superstitions.

[vampire lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know you'll go def from listening to LOUD music, And you get worms from eating raw cookie Dow

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

great little book full of factoids--might be fun to read with a class??

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked this book and i enjoyed the true or false information. and i liked how the author put other things in stead of just putting the true or false information, and make it on going.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is abook for people who want to know theway things really are and why i did like the book.

[Bryan Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will be a fun non-fiction read aloud for my sixth graders.

[Bernice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick & interesting nonfiction book about famous parental sayings. Some of the statements that were true surprised me!

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good informational book for kids about things that people say and if there is any scientific accuracy to the claim. My guess is that kids would probably find this more entertaining than I did.

[Eileen Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a book that will make you smile. Definitely cleared up some old wives tales that I had once thought as truth.