On their walk home from school, twins Jane and Jim explore why sounds can be startling (like sirens), soothing (like music), or mysterious (like eerie creaking in an empty house). By coming along, young readers of What Makes Different Sounds? can learn as the twins do. They'll be introduced to the roles vibration, pitch, and volume play in how rustles, rumbles, and rat-a-tat-tats are made and transferred to their own ears.

What Makes Different Sounds? is part of the I Wonder Why book series, written to ignite the curiosity of children in grades K-6 while encouraging them to become avid readers. These books explore the marvels of sound, animals, plants, and other phenomena related to science and nature. Included in each edition is a Parent/Teacher Handbook with coordinating activities. The I Wonder Why series is written by an award-winning science educator and published by NSTA Kids, a division of NSTA Press.