50 Underwear Questions: A Bare-All History (50 Questions) - Softcover

Tanya Lloyd Kyi is the author of both fiction and non-fiction books for young readers, including The Lowdown on Denim and 50 Burning Questions: A Sizzling History of Fire. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Ross Kinnaird is an illustrator who has worked in London, Sydney, and Hong Kong. He currently lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

Loincloths, panties, boxers, bloomers—all different names for underwear. This extremely informative book takes a topic that is inherently interesting to kids and presents it in a manner that is both sprightly and nonsensational. The format, as the title indicates, is question-and-answer. Beginning with “ancient undies,” the questions cover everything from what’s worn under certain kinds of dress to how the modern bra came into being, and reasons for wearing underclothes in the first place. But this is a book with panache, and the wording of the questions runs along the lines of: “Can you battle in those breeches?” “Can we have some support here, please?” “What’s the latest in loincloths?” And, “Did someone say ‘wedgie’?” Beyond the 50 questions, which take readers on a worldwide, historical tour, there’s even more info in the numerous sidebars that offer anecdotes, games, and embellishments on each question. All this is illustrated in amusing cartoon-style art that isn’t afraid to play up what’s funny about the subject. Grades 4-7. --Ilene Cooper