Innholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2024 i Ask Science and Arts Magazine for Kids and Children

Why Is Abe’s Tie Askew? In photos, Abraham Lincoln often sports a black bow tie. And in almost every photo, the tie is a bit...crooked. Did Abe have trouble tying ties? That can’t be the problem, because—it’s actually a clip-on. The bow was pre-tied and sewn onto a cloth band that fastened around the collar. In fact, he often wore the same tie. The Smithsonian Museum of American History has Lincoln’s tie-band in its collection. Some historians wondered if the pre-made tie got a bit crooked over the years. So they took a look. Surprisingly, they found that the tie was sewn firmly onto the backing at an angle—it was meant to look a bit crooked. Apparently that rakish slant was stylish at the time. Lincoln was just being fashionable.…

I don’t go over there by the sidewalk much—too open and empty. But here in the alley there’s lots of great shadows and trash to hide me as I run along the walls. That’s the First Rat Rule: “Don’t be seen.” How am I doing? Long ago, we rats used to live out in the country, burrowing in the dirt. But when humans started building farms and towns, we moved right in with them. Who wouldn’t? Lots of free food, great hiding places, amazing new stuff to gnaw on, sewers full of water and muck, and handy pipes to climb—all for us. And no snakes! Of course, the best thing about humans is their garbage. They throw stuff away like crazy. So what if it’s a little old? Just improves…

May/June 2024 Volume 23 Number 5 cricketmedia.com $6.95…

Under Liberty’s Torch From a little island just off the tip of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty keeps watch over one of the largest cities in the world—New York. New York is a watery place. It sits on three large islands at a spot where several rivers empty into the Atlantic Ocean. In the naturally muddy water around Liberty’s feet, lobsters, snails, and blue crabs scuttle. Huge spiny sturgeon and swarms of eels swim past on their way to the Hudson River. Seahorses cling to the seaweed around piers and bridges. Bluefish and bass stake out rocks and old tires on the harbor floor. Twice a day, when the tide comes in, salt water rushes up the rivers. When the tide goes out, fresh water and mud pour into the…

Send your letters to Ask at ask@cricketmedia.com. Dear Zia, I have a question for you. Do you like baking or cooking more? I prefer cooking, more interesting smells! (If you can’t decide, that is OK.)Charlotte H., age 8, California Dear Charlotte, Cupcakes are my favorite, so maybe baking is better than cooking. But then I like to make my friends happy too, and some of them like cooked food better than baked food. So maybe I prefer cooking. Can I just pick eating instead?Your fellow chef, Zia Dear Ratz, What about leftovers do you like so much? Also, what is your favorite color? Mine is yellow. Can the next Ask be about hamsters? They are so cute.Love, Reese Dear Reese, What’s not to like about leftovers? I like to think…

Wild LA by The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles Los Angeles is a busy city, but it’s also home to bats, snakes, mountain lions, and many other wild things. This excellent book includes a guide to the wild creatures of southern California and 25 interesting walks you can talke around the city to meet them. Every city has its own wild side—does yours have a wild guide too? Sea Lions in the Parking Lot by Lenora Todaro During the Covid pandemic, animals went wandering. This fun picture book takes a world tour to visit deer in a Japanese subway, flamingos in Mumbai, kangaroos at the bus stop, and many other creatures venturing into places they usually avoid. After so many years of humans moving into animals’ habitat, it’s nice…