"Previously published in picture-book format, “Questions, Questions” makes a poetic, calming read-aloud, just right for bedtime or a peaceful moment in the park."- New York Times Online Book Review
12/01/2014
…Questions, Questions makes a poetic, calming read-aloud, just right for bedtime or a peaceful moment in the park.
The New York Times - Sarah Harrison Smith
In an age when infinite answers are available in an instant, maybe the questions we ask are what matter most. "here's so much that I want to know," writes Pfister, and in 13 short couplets he shows readers how questioning is a genuinely creative act—a way of being fully engaged in the world. His verses are by turns fanciful ("Do apple seeds dream happily/ of growing up to be a tree?"), scientifically minded ("What turns the leaves from green to brown/ and sends them floating gently down?"), and even faith-based ("Who teaches butterflies to fly,/ splashing their colors through the sky?"). In a departure from his Rainbow Fish series, Pfister has created images as pithy as they are poignant, boldly graphic and dramatically cropped against white backgrounds. A blue-headed songbird is reminiscent of Asian watercolor; a storm cloud looks like it's been fashioned from salt dough; falling leaves seem cut from pieces of thickly tufted carpet. Although each was created using the same painted paper method (explained on the final page), the results are as varied as the questions. Ages 3?up. (Mar.)
Pfister's thirteen provocative questions in rhymed couplets are really just a background for the double-page abstract illustrations created with a distinctive acrylic stamping technique. The questions range from, "How do seeds know how to grow, to reach up from the earth below?" and "Who paints the colors on the flowers that lift their heads to sun and showers?" to "Do apple seeds dream happily of growing up to be a tree?" and "When geese fly south, how do they know it's time to leave and where to go?" He ends the questions with, "Birds and flowers, sea and air—questions, questions everywhere!" The textures, produced by the wet paint pressing and detailed in Pfister's final note, have small silver accents that seem inlaid into the large, intensely colored shapes, adding attention-grabbing details. Although the pictures relate to the questions, they in no way pretend to provide answers. Rather, they create commanding visual images that supply accessible emotional content. They also could lead to discussions as readers attempt to discover answers. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
Children's Literature - Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
In a departure from his usual sparkly fare, Pfister's latest is a sweetly simple look at some very deep questions, allowing children the opportunity to delve into some of life's mysteries. The questions, each presented as a rhyming couplet, could have been just as easily formulated by a child as by the author—they feel like the charming queries children seem to make when adults least expect them. "How do seeds know when to grow, / to reach up from the earth below?" "Does a whale make up a song / so other whales will sing along?" Although readers will find no answers here, most have scientific explanations, but others certainly hint toward the divine. And while the text is well written (translated from German), it is the beautiful artwork that will draw readers back for more. Luminous colors and amazing textures stand out against the stark, white backgrounds. While new to Pfister, the technique suits the tone of the text to a T. Each element was cut from thick cardboard, then painted with acrylics and stamped onto paper to complete the individual scenes. The result echoes the mix of simplicity and complexity inherent in each question. In a world that so often emphasizes answers and solid facts, it is refreshing to see a text that encourages questioning, whether realistic or imaginative flights of fancy.(Picture book. 3-7)
Kirkus Reviews - Kikus Reviews
In a departure from his usual sparkly fare, Pfister's latest is a sweetly simple look at some very deep questions, allowing children the opportunity to delve into some of life's mysteries. The questions, each presented as a rhyming couplet, could have been just as easily formulated by a child as by the author—they feel like the charming queries children seem to make when adults least expect them. "How do seeds know when to grow, / to reach up from the earth below?" "Does a whale make up a song / so other whales will sing along?" Although readers will find no answers here, most have scientific explanations, but others certainly hint toward the divine. And while the text is well written (translated from German), it is the beautiful artwork that will draw readers back for more. Luminous colors and amazing textures stand out against the stark, white backgrounds. While new to Pfister, the technique suits the tone of the text to a T. Each element was cut from thick cardboard, then painted with acrylics and stamped onto paper to complete the individual scenes. The result echoes the mix of simplicity and complexity inherent in each question. In a world that so often emphasizes answers and solid facts, it is refreshing to see a text that encourages questioning, whether realistic or imaginative flights of fancy.(Picture book. 3-7)
