Pick, Spit & Scratch

Parents and teachers, turn nagging about hand washing, covering your cough, and other healthy practices into STEM learning moments with Pick, Spit & Scratch. Weird, disgusting science facts (a sneeze or cough can spray germs 25 feet through the air!) behind a range of bad habits, accompanied by hilarious illustrations, give kids the vivid answers they need to change their ways and tips that show them how—including step-by-step illustrated instructions on how to wash viruses and bacteria off your hands like an expert.

As any parent or teacher will attest, all kids have bad habits from, er, time to time. They pick their nose. They hold their pee. Or pee in pools. They pick their nose. They don’t brush their teeth. They pick their nose. But we seldom stop to think that there are science lessons in these habits.

Each spread in Pick, Spit & Scratch describes a specific bad habit, and provides multilayered reading opportunities in the form of incredible, revolting facts that ratchet up the gross factor. Bad habits are transformed into relatable concepts for kids; for example, we swallow up to a quart of snot a day—enough to fill a small milk carton.

In some cases, the author even debunks myths about bad habits by introducing counter-intuitive scientific research (boogers may actually have health benefits) or humorously turning the tables on adults (one study showed that most adults pick their noses, too).

Kids will love Pick, Spit & Scratch because it's gross. Parents will love it because it says, “I told you so.” Everyone will love the health benefits.