(2) K-3 "And that, class, is what we call metamorphosis... Are there any questions?" Our young protagonist does indeed have a question (per question-mark thought bubble) but is immediately plagued by self-consciousness and doubt. No one else seems to have one, and asking would just shine an unwanted spotlight. A series of what-ifs? goes through the child's mind, played out in clear, lively digital car-toons with oversize, shout-y speech balloons: "YOU CALL THAT A QUESTION?...LOOK, EVERYONE! IT'S SILLY-QUESTION KID!...SILLY-QUESTION KID IS IN OUR CLASS!" After a brief imagined sojourn to outer space, where there's no one to poke fun at question-askers--but there's no one to answer questions, either--the child returns to the real-life classroom, cautiously raises a hand, and voices the query: "How do you know if a caterpillar is going to turn into a butterfly or a moth?" A very good question--and one that opens the floodgates for other classmates' wonderings. (Who would win in a fight, a butterfly or a moth?) Reluctant queriers will relate to the issues raised by the story, which doesn't take itself too seriously, and may well feel a sense of relief and reassurance. Although some of the questions are actually quite ridiculous ("Can I be a moth?"), the act of asking them isn't.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) PS Illustrated by Christian Robinson. This conversation-starting picture book presents a series of questions and invites children to supply the answers. The first spread asks viewers to count the number of animals pictured, with Robinson depicting a creature-filled tree and a bear and elephant at its base. The next spread, featuring a tiger partially concealed by jungle leaves, adds an element of delicious mischief: "How many animals can you not see in this one, because they're hiding from the tiger?" There's much more mischief: someone has just robbed a bank ("which of these ladies" did it?); bandits bury a treasure (and "what would you do if you found it?"); there's a mysterious beast in a bathtub (what kind?); and more. Some questions give simple options, one spread showing three sleeping children with Barnett's text asking which one dreams of peaches. Others are open-ended, making them a good match for creative writing prompts. For instance, a woman stands atop a cliff next to the question: "Who is she waiting for?" Robinson's textured mixed-media collages provide just enough detail and sometimes pose visual questions that the text doesn't even touch on. How, for instance, did the snake get in the tennis shoe pictured on the cover? Even the endpapers are a delight, Robinson turning everyday objects (a banana, a mug) into question marks. This is creative, interactive picture-book fun, without question.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Philip Bunting. Ben-Barak and Bunting have impressively produced a thought-provoking, scientifically precise, and accessible explanation of the origins of life and evolution across Earth's history for a young audience. Ideas about life, time, and heredity are conveyed through friendly illustrations and simple sentences (albeit with some sophisticated vocabulary). The book opens with questions that children may ask about their human families and histories: "What is life?" "How did I get it?" A deceptively modest reply, its last phrase repeated throughout the book, serves as an organizing concept as the origins of cellular organisms are explained: "Life Is the Way That Some Things Make More Things That Are a Lot Like Themselves but Sometimes a Little Bit Different." In the final pages, a gorgeous gatefold illustration invites readers to spot familiar plants and creatures (including a human) and trace their paths back to the first cell--a "very clever little bubble." If readers pause to let the statements sink in and look closely at the details in the finely crafted illustrations, they'll find clever subtleties that invite further contemplation about what makes "all of us."

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Fanny Liem. Ten-year-old Dottie's treehouse-construction plans are interrupted when Grandpa Walter shows up at the family's front door, a Chock full o'Nuts coffee can in tow. Mourning the recent loss of Dottie's grandma, Grandpa Walter now consoles himself by talking to her via the Chock full o'Nuts can. Soon both Grandpa and the can have taken up long-term residence in Dottie's room (and changed the wall color). Dottie endures this disruption bravely, trying to emulate her beloved grandmother, but the situation causes what already feels like a menagerie of animals inside her to grow (an alligator soon joined by a porcupine, an octopus, and a kangaroo). Dottie's friend Sam, with his extensive vocabulary, and their antagonist-turned-friend Miles are going through personal struggles too: Sam's mom is having a new baby, and Miles's parents are getting divorced. By joining forces, they each find their way by questioning ­everything, trying to create space for themselves (primarily through the ambitious treehouse project), and helping one another along--sometimes effectively and sometimes slightly less so. Dottie's realistic inner emotional journey contrasts well with her more whimsical day-to-day antics. Though centered in processing grief and change, the short, question-titled chapters filled with humor, quirkiness, and spot illustrations create a warm and buoyant story of family and friendship.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) PS Illustrated by Philip Stead. This question-and-answer story featuring an independent, bespectacled child joyously explores and celebrates everyday moments, whether spent alone or in unexpected company. The book opens with the child focusing on her cookie, disregarding a small pink toy elephant at her feet. "Sometimes it's nice to be alone. Just you, eating your cookie, alone. But what if a friend pops in?" A page-turn addresses that question, with the elephant, no longer a toy, now dominating the spread as a life-size snacking companion. The refrain "sometimes it's nice to be alone" repeats, with the child reading a book near a toy horse, riding a bike with a stuffed bear in the basket, spying from a treehouse with a toy giraffe. Each vignette follows the same pattern, but the reveal is always a delight when the come-to-life toy creates a more dramatic and entertaining scene. A real dinosaur makes playing in a pile of leaves much more exciting, and an alligator friend can turn bathtime into a beach day. The brightly colored, textured illustrations, created by hand using printmaking techniques, are mischievous and detailed, perfectly extending the plucky text. The last spread shows the child ready for bed, looking out the window on a snowy scene; the page-turn reveals a toy penguin on the floor and a final word ("dreaming"), allowing listeners to decide what might come next.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) PS Whose Is THAT? series. Illustrated by Kelsey Oseid. Lunde and Oseid's third collaboration stays true to their successful formula, turning this nonfiction picture book into a guessing game that uses eggs to explore different species and teach larger lessons about the natural world. Spreads follow a pattern that young children will quickly grasp: the first spread asks a question ("Whose egg is that?"), the second shows a close-up of the egg, the third pans out and identifies the parent animal, and the fourth gives a few additional facts about the species. Oseid's delicately rendered gouache illustrations provide visual hints. Each page-turn builds in details that reward the alert observer and teach much about the animals' habitats and behaviors. Many young readers will be surprised and delighted to find that eggs come in an array of colors and sizes. Others will enjoy learning how not just birds, but also animals such as platypuses and leatherback sea turtles come from eggs. Pair this crowd pleaser with Aston and Long's An Egg Is Quiet to foster children's curiosity and observation of the world around them.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) PS Illustrated by Penelope Dullaghan. It's the day before Christmas, and Bunny is searching for the perfect tree, one that is just her size. Along the way she meets various friends who each add a different request, sending Bunny farther and farther from home. Suspense builds as listeners wonder if Bunny will ever find the sought-after tree, while repetition in the text (each friend asks, "What are you looking for?") will support new readers. The narrative is poetic and rhythmic, with occasional ear-pleasing alliteration. Illustrations in a muted, wintry palette nicely complement the story.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(3) PS Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. Racial unrest has a way of unearthing a lot of questions in all of us, particularly in our children. This picture book takes the bold step of beginning to address specific, difficult questions about racism. In lyrical text, children ask family members why a particular act of protest occurs: "Why are those people shouting?" "Our people are shouting because we need to be heard. We need to be heard." The illustrations, done in digital collage and paint, are colorful and engaging while still managing to express a somber, thoughtful mood. This is a good starting point in the process of understanding.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(2) K-3 "I can't ask her what it means. Then she'll know I don't know." The resident of apartment 2C (skinny bright-blue walking rectangle with a red bow tie and a thatch of brown hair) prides himself on being "the know-it-all neighbor." When 2B (pink teardrop with red high-tops at the end of stick legs) asks 2C to "wake me up in 20 coconuts," though, 2C is thrown for a loop. Keller's wacky mixed-media illustrations set the tone and the scene: a red-brick apartment building inhabited by a variety of cartoony characters who mainly communicate by shouting out their front windows. 2C tries logic ("How many coconuts in a minute?"), removing the sock and noisy chicken from his ear, and getting his brain washed, all with the hope that the meaning of "coconut time" will become clearer. The existential crisis reaches its ridiculously exaggerated crescendo when 2C finally admits (to the whole building) that he doesn't know what 2B is talking about. And this is where the silliness has been leading: "It's all right to say 'I don’t know,' 2C. It doesn’t mean that you're not smart." An encouraging note provides more details on the benefits of owning what we don't know.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(1) 4-6 Translated by Sara Lissa Paulson. Illustrated by Paloma Valdivia. This lavish volume includes excerpts from Neruda's Libro de las preguntas in the original Spanish alongside new English translations by Paulson. Valdivia's expansive illustrations in a limited, muted palette give readers plenty of space to dwell on each question. The questions themselves, mostly arranged as couplets, have no answers and often imaginative premises: "Who shouted for joy / when the color blue was born?" "Where can you find a bell / that rings inside your dreams?" Frequent gatefolds function as transitions between related illustrations (a peaceful mountain scene becomes a volcanic eruption, with similar changes in the flora and fauna) or as pauses between related questions ("Why do trees hide / the splendor of their roots?" [gatefold] "So, how do roots know / they must rise up to the light?"). Back matter includes notes about the source material and its meaning from the illustrator, editor, and translator. Endlessly perusable--as long as you have the elbow room--the book is perfectly pitched to encourage students to write their own question poems; pair with Kooser and Wanek's equally philosophical Marshmallow Clouds (rev. 3/22).

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Ruth Chan. In this comic in picture-book form, Mr. Tortoise is so old that he's forgotten how old he is, prompting his friends to become preoccupied with trying to figure out how many candles to put on his cake. Walrus suggests that Mr. Tortoise must be seven (just like him!), and Pig suggests he must be twelve because he has twelve sections on his shell. The partygoers start to quiz him on what people wore when he was young, whether he'd owned a television, etc. Chan's depictions of the characters are full of expression. Mr. Tortoise's emotions, which range from excited to thoughtful to confused to triumphant, dance across his face from panel to panel, and his friends are vibrant with enthusiasm. The book alternates between pages of panels and double-page spreads, varying the pace to the story's advantage, lingering on humorous moments and adding to a sense of things spiraling a bit out of control. Mr. Tortoise doesn't care how old he is or how many candles he has: "I'm the birthday tortoise and I would really like to have cake!" Anyone who's ever had to wait for a treat will empathize.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) PS Rohde constructs a vibrant exploration of place beginning with a simple question and answer: "Where is the cat? Under the wobbly table." The wobbly table sits on the blue rug, and the blue rug is in the yellow room. The black cat makes its way out of the yellow room and past the green door into the colorful apartment. But the book continues: "Where is the colorful apartment? In the pink house." Beyond that colorful apartment in the pink house, the cat and its people make their way into the cheerful street filled with a diverse array of ­children and grownups. The (­color-coded) text proceeds in the initial Q&A format as the story zooms out--into the continent, the planet, the galaxy--but not without some appropriately feline mischief. Rohde's background in architecture is reflected in the eye-catching, color-blocked, and decidedly two-dimensional cityscapes. This engaging read-aloud opens the door for a number of classroom opportunities--adjectives, prepositions, ­mapmaking!--but its real power lies in stimulating a child's wonder and awe at the ever-expanding universe that surrounds us.

Reviewer: Grace McKinney | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) PS Opening endpapers populated with buck-toothed squirrels feature one yellow creature with an orange beak dressed in a jaunty green cap and vest. The muddle begins there, and the story opens with a suspicious rodent attempting to question this yellow creature called "Custard the Squirrel" into submission with the diligence of a criminal attorney. "Custard the Squirrel, aren't you a duck?" it asks, while showing a picture of a duck from a book to support this leading question. Custard faces further pointed inquiry about swimming, quacking, eating weeds, and laying eggs. Custard is a "no" for all of it while carrying on with its day--going for a sail, playing the organ, eating a gourmet feast, and reading a book about eggs--while the exasperated pursuer trails behind. Ultimately, Custard pauses to entertain one final question: "Custard the Squirrel, do you only answer 'No'?" Custard, contrary and independent to the end, affirms, "Yes!" Delight ensues. The characteristically unexpected details and color choices featured in Ruzzier's watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations pair perfectly with this story of individualism. The antagonistic question-and-answer format full of repetition and supportive visuals will provide reinforcement for beginning readers along with comedy, satisfaction, and even some opportunity for personal empowerment.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) PS Colorful, bold type; brightly saturated backgrounds; and simple, clean design set the tone for a concept book that doubles as a surprisingly joyous celebration of bones. A friendly-looking hippo faces its own skeleton on the book cover. Inside, each two-spread animal-guessing-game sequence begins by asking "Whose bones?" followed by a page of jumbled bones from the animal in question. On the next spread the bones have resolved into a full skeleton on the verso; and finally on the recto, the ­living animal, drawn in a simple, cartoonish style, is revealed. The concluding pages of the book are where things get complicated, as viewers are presented with an entire double-page spread of jumbled bones, including six different skulls--a hint at how many skeletons are present. Discerning which bones belong together to form each complete skeleton may make children think differently about how scientists learn from materials found in nature. Brief back matter identifies all the skeletons as being from vertebrates and gives facts about some of the animals. Front endpapers consisting of an array of human skeletons with a few ­interspersed oddities resolve on the ­closing endpapers into a parade of children (with a robot and an alien hidden among them). A strong choice for curious young ­scientists.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) K-3 Big sister Ada shows boundless patience with little sister Bea's many questions. She feels a responsibility to answer each one, because having all the answers is "what big sisters are for." (Bea and Ada are depicted as koalas, living in a town with shops including Marsupial Books and Koality Foods.) Bea's questions, however, are getting harder and harder to answer, and when one day Bea asks, "Where do shooting stars go?" Ada invents an answer--and the next thing you know, the girls are exploring the nearby jungle in search of the "starberries" that Ada had suggested would be there. In this unfamiliar territory, Bea's continual questions begin to overwhelm Ada, who must finally admit that she just doesn't know. Though the two girls get lost, Glazer's vibrant pictures keep the tone reassuringly upbeat--and their adventure ends on a double-page spread revealing a spectacular landscape with a shimmering waterfall in the distance, rewarding the sisters' decision to keep exploring. Glazer incorporates lots of speech bubbles into her engaging acrylic, gouache, colored-pencil, crayon, and Photoshop illustrations. Poring over the pictures, which range from vignettes to full-bleed spreads, will reward observant viewers, who may spot delicate details such as each girl's favorite pattern or color (polka dots for Ada, bright yellow for Bea) as well as interesting creatures in the jungle. This story of sisterly devotion begins with endpapers featuring sweet, affectionate scenes and concludes with endpapers hinting at more adventures to come--together, of course.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 Translated by Lawrence Schimel. Illustrated by Miren Asiain Lora. "How did the oysters get up to the top of a mountain?" Nogués combines a geologist's eye, a teacher's cadence, and his own joy and wonder about the world to organize explanations of geologic time, fossil formation, stratigraphy, and mountain building into a puzzle to be solved. The superbly creative text takes the form of an interchange between narrator and learner, starting with a perceived anomaly--sea creatures at the highest point on land--and then moving through a series of questions, eliminating incorrect alternatives and reveling in eureka moments, to arrive at the logical conclusions formed by centuries of scientific thought. Readers immerse themselves in the "language of rocks," asked directly by Nogués (in ­­­first- and second-person narration) to observe objects within the gorgeous and varied sea-toned illustrations by Asiain Lora (Hello, Earth!, rev. 7/21); and they can use the child and adult figures present in all of the main illustrations to imagine themselves as geologists in the field. Sidebars throughout provide additional information about the scientific principles and discoveries, and a glossary is appended.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Qin Leng. This follow-up to A Family Is a Family Is a Family brings us to school. "Being the new kid is hard," states a dark-haired child approaching a school building. In response to a question we infer has been asked by a second child, the newcomer asserts, "I can think of better things to ask than if I'm a boy or a girl." One by one, others chime in with what they wish others would ask them. A petite boy wishes people would ask him about the big words he can spell instead of about his small size. A child with a prosthetic leg exclaims, "Ask me what I can do, not what I can't!"--and an illustration shows that child standing ­triumphantly atop a rocky hill, arms stretched high in victory. Each full-bleed spread splits the speaker's perspective in two: on the verso, we see the child joining a growing playground group while the recto gives a peek into their life in class or outside the school gates. With a Quentin Blake–esque liveliness to her lines, Leng's watercolor and ink illustrations capture the intimate details of young children's lives and dreams. At last, the dark-haired "new kid" shares a question that every child wants to be asked: "Hey kid, do you want to play?" With a unanimous spirit of inclusion within its pages, the story urges readers to rethink the way they first encounter others--by starting with an invitation.

Reviewer: Grace McKinney | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(3) PS After a child with brown skin is asked a mystifying question--"What are you?"--the spare text and childlike illustrations cleverly posit the many (often opposing) whats she is. "I am dark. I am pale" appears over three small (differently melanized) hands reaching into a huddle-circle; the opposite page shows one set of bare tan-lined feet: "In summer I am many colors." The girl is also, for example, a "scaredy-cat" (mid-thunderstorm) then "brave" (catching bugs), and "not mischievous / (most of the time)." A note from the Indian American author explains the dehumanizing nature of the question and expands on the themes of dialectical self-images and identities.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) YA This adaptation of Ojibwe author Treuer's adult title uses the same question-and-answer format as the original. The well-laid-out topics include terminology; history; religion, culture, and identity; tribal languages; and education. Each section contains at least seven ­questions (others contain many more), which are listed in the table of contents for quick access. Some of the questions--"Why do Indians have long hair?" "Do Indians live in tipis?"--might be asked by a young reader. Others--"What is sovereignty?" "What is clouded title?"--would likely be new concepts, since they aren't often taught in school. A broad audience will be able to relate to, and ­appreciate, the "social activism" ­concerns. In the introduction, Treuer states that the answers to some of the questions are his own views, and he encourages readers to seek the perspectives of other Native Americans. This would be a good resource for readers to begin learning about Native American histories, lives, and cultures. Extensive recommended reading and notes, along with an index, provide resources for deeper understanding of the concepts presented. Photos ­throughout add context and vitality to the information ­provided.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) PS "What makes a good day for you?" As Daniel (Daniel Finds a Poem) walks through his busy city neighborhood to spend the day with his grandmother, he asks that question of everyone he meets. Archer's vivid, detailed collage illustrations draw readers into the vibrant scenes. The sense of community is palpable and uplifting, and the portrait of Daniel's close-knit brown-skinned family is positive and welcome.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019