The Yawn Book

K-Gr 2--Kids yawn all the time. But is it only kids who yawn? And why does it seem that yawning causes others nearby to yawn as well? There are all kinds of theories about how many times a day people yawn and why they do it. Yawns are weird! The author addresses many of these questions but not with any authority. There are more theories than answers, it turns out. The theories range from boredom to simple fatigue, but there is evidence that babies yawn in utero and even our most elderly citizens continue to yawn. What we do know is that yawns are contagious, but we don't know why. The text is vague because little is known about the phenomenon, so the book is ultimately unsatisfying. The art is unremarkable and the palette is drab. Consider the livelier, more appealingly illustrated Yawn by Patricia Hegarty, which makes yawning a global concern. VERDICT Unless there is a specific request for a new book on yawning, this one is a pass.--Joan Kindig