Earlier this month I spotlighted a 1972 book I had when I was a kid and recently re-read. It was in the "How and Why Wonder Book"series, called "Dinosaurs." I actually have several in the series, and just re-read another called "Prehistoric Mammals." Yes, I was fascinated with fossils, dinosaurs and ancient mammals as a kid. In today's blog you'll read about the Prehistoric Mammals book and learn about the series of "HOW AND WHY WONDER BOOKS" and what were in the series! Read on!
MY THOUGHTS- This book was a great introduction to prehistoric mammals for me. I'm sure that a LOT of this info has changed since 1972, in fact, I know it has (because I've read newer findings), but this was a great baseline. The book has a really cool timeline in the beginning. - The first26 of 47 pages is a recap from the pre-Cambrian and Paleozoic periods (no life to early sea life) to the end of the Jurassic Period (dinosaurs), so the mammals part is just 21 pages at the end.
It's fascinating to see how some prehistoric mammals evolved into some of today's mammals. Well worth reading!
NOW... let's look at the history of these How and Why books of Wonder
ABOUT HOW AND WHY WONDER BOOKS -How and Why Wonder Books were a series of illustrated American books published in the 1960s and 1970s that was designed to teach science and history to children and young teenagers. The series began in 1960, and was edited under the supervision of Dr. Paul E. Blackwood of the Office of Education at the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The series was published by Wonder Books, Inc., a division of Grosset & Dunlap. There were 74 unique titles in the series, each one starting with the phrase The How and Why Wonder Book of… as a key component of the book's name. All 74 volumes were published in a softcover format.
WHAT WERE THE OTHER HOW AND WHY WONDER BOOKS?
The softcover books were numbered consecutively in series starting
at 5001 (with the only exception being the final book in the series
entitled Fossils). The hardcover versions were numbered differently
from the softcover issues.
at 5001 (with the only exception being the final book in the series
entitled Fossils). The hardcover versions were numbered differently
from the softcover issues.
- 5001 Dinosaurs
- 5002 Weather
- 5003 Electricity
- 5004 Rocks and Minerals
- 5005 Rockets and Missiles
- 5006 Stars
- 5007 Insects
- 5008 Reptiles and Amphibians
- 5009 Birds
- 5010 Our Earth
- 5011 Beginning Science
- 5012 Machines
- 5013 The Human Body
- 5014 Sea Shells
- 5015 Atomic Energy
- 5016 The Microscope
- 5017 The Civil War
- 5018 Mathematics
- 5019 Flight
- 5020 Ballet
- 5021 Chemistry
- 5022 Horses
- 5023 Explorations and Discoveries
- 5024 Primitive Man
- 5025 North America
- 5026 Planets and Interplanetary Travel
- 5027 Wild Animals
- 5028 Sound
- 5029 Lost Cities
- 5030 Ants and Bees
- 5031 Wild Flowers
- 5032 Dogs
- 5033 Prehistoric Mammals
- 5034 Science Experiments
- 5035 World War II
- 5036 Florence Nightingale
- 5037 Butterflies and Moths
- 5038 Fish
- 5039 Robots and Electronic Brains
- 5040 Light and Color
- 5041 Winning of the West
- 5042 The American Revolution
- 5043 Caves to Skyscrapers
- 5044 Ships
- 5045 Time
- 5046 Magnets and Magnetism
- 5047 Guns
- 5048 The Moon
- 5049 Famous Scientists
- 5050 The Old Testament
- 5051 Building
- 5052 Railroads
- 5053 Trees
- 5054 Oceanography
- 5055 North American Indians
- 5056 Mushrooms, Ferns and Mosses
- 5057 The Polar Regions
- 5058 Coins and Currency
- 5059 Basic Inventions
- 5060 The First World War
- 5061 Electronics
- 5062 Deserts
- 5063 Air and Water
- 5064 Stars
- 5065 Airplanes and the Story of Flight
- 5066 Fish
- 5067 Boats and Ships
- 5068 The Moon
- 5069 Trains and Railroads
- 5070 Ecology
- 5071 The Environment and You
- 5072 Extinct Animals
- 5073 Snakes
- 5076 Fossils
When publication of the How and Why Wonder Book series
first commenced in 1960, only the initial six titles in the series
were produced. As time went by, and as the series
proved to be highly successful, more new titles were added
to expand its scope.
first commenced in 1960, only the initial six titles in the series
were produced. As time went by, and as the series
proved to be highly successful, more new titles were added
to expand its scope.
At the same time, a handful of titles also disappeared from
the comprehensive "checklists" (located on back covers) when
these volumes were revised and republished under a different
title and/or series number. Specifically, there were six titles that
were removed from checklists when they were reissued with a
later series number. They were:
the comprehensive "checklists" (located on back covers) when
these volumes were revised and republished under a different
title and/or series number. Specifically, there were six titles that
were removed from checklists when they were reissued with a
later series number. They were:
- 5006 Stars (reissued as 5064 Stars)
- 5019 Flight (reissued as 5065 Airplanes and the Story of Flight)
- 5038 Fish (reissued as 5066 Fish)
- 5044 Ships (reissued as 5067 Boats and Ships)
- 5048 The Moon (reissued as 5068 The Moon)
- 5052 Railroads (reissued as 5069 Trains and Railroads)
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