In chemistry, compounds are made whenever two or more different elements come together. You use compounds every day, probably without realizing it. If you're baking a cake, you're using compounds. If you're swimming, you're using compounds. When you breathe, you're actually making compounds, because you inhale oxygen, and exhale carbon dioxide. What other compounds are there? Elementary readers will explore all four kinds of compounds and discover why they're essential for everyday life, with simple diagrams and age-appropriate vocabulary.