11 Experiments That Failed

Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
Look inside
Hardcover
$17.99 US
On sale Sep 27, 2011 | 40 Pages | 9780375847622
"This is a most joyful and clever whimsy, the kind that lightens the heart and puts a shine on the day," raved Kirkus Reviews in a starred review.

Is it possible to eat snowballs doused in ketchup—and nothing else—all winter? Can a washing machine wash dishes? By reading the step-by-step instructions, kids can discover the answers to such all-important questions along with the book's curious narrator. Here are 12 "hypotheses," as well as lists of "what you need," "what to do," and "what happened" that are sure to make young readers laugh out loud as they learn how to conduct science experiments (really!).

Jenny Offill and Nancy Carpenter—the ingenious pair that brought you 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore—have outdone themselves in this brilliant and outrageously funny book.
  • WINNER | 2011
    Kid's Indie Next List "Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers"
  • NOMINEE
    Bank Street Child Study Children's Book Award
  • NOMINEE | 2014
    Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award
© Emily Tobey
Jenny Offill is the author of the novels Last Things (a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and a finalist for the L.A. Times First Book Award), and Dept. of Speculation, which was shortlisted for the Folio Prize, the Pen Faulkner Award and the International Dublin Award. She lives in upstate New York and teaches at Syracuse University and in the low residency program at Queens University. View titles by Jenny Offill
Nancy Carpenter has won the Christopher Award for her picture book illustrations. A graduate of Parsons, she lives in Brooklyn, NY. View titles by Nancy Carpenter

About

"This is a most joyful and clever whimsy, the kind that lightens the heart and puts a shine on the day," raved Kirkus Reviews in a starred review.

Is it possible to eat snowballs doused in ketchup—and nothing else—all winter? Can a washing machine wash dishes? By reading the step-by-step instructions, kids can discover the answers to such all-important questions along with the book's curious narrator. Here are 12 "hypotheses," as well as lists of "what you need," "what to do," and "what happened" that are sure to make young readers laugh out loud as they learn how to conduct science experiments (really!).

Jenny Offill and Nancy Carpenter—the ingenious pair that brought you 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore—have outdone themselves in this brilliant and outrageously funny book.

Awards

  • WINNER | 2011
    Kid's Indie Next List "Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers"
  • NOMINEE
    Bank Street Child Study Children's Book Award
  • NOMINEE | 2014
    Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award

Author

© Emily Tobey
Jenny Offill is the author of the novels Last Things (a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and a finalist for the L.A. Times First Book Award), and Dept. of Speculation, which was shortlisted for the Folio Prize, the Pen Faulkner Award and the International Dublin Award. She lives in upstate New York and teaches at Syracuse University and in the low residency program at Queens University. View titles by Jenny Offill
Nancy Carpenter has won the Christopher Award for her picture book illustrations. A graduate of Parsons, she lives in Brooklyn, NY. View titles by Nancy Carpenter

Celebrating 100 years of James Baldwin

In celebration of James Baldwin, the literary legend and civil rights champion, and the centennial of his birth, we are sharing a collection of his work.   James Baldwin (1924–1987) was a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic. His first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, appeared in 1953 to excellent reviews, and his essay collections Notes

Read more

The New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century

The New York Times recently published their list “100 Best Books of the 21st Century.” We are pleased to announce that there are 49 titles published from Penguin Random House and its distribution clients included in this list. Browse our collection of Penguin Random House titles here. Browse the full list from The New York

Read more