The Book of Whys

October 16, 2023
Based on columns that Rodari (A Daydreamy Child Takes a Walk) wrote for Italian daily newspaper l’Unità from 1955 to 1958 in which he addressed wide-ranging topics from young readers, this quixotic collection of poems provides comical answers for each query. Evergreen wonderings such as “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” and “Why do your eyes sting when you chop an onion?” prompt playful yet scientific responses rendered in rhyme that paint witty stories infused with vivacious word play. Kindness radiates from a reply regarding the nature of mermaids: “Perhaps I should tell you, cautiously but with/ utter sincerity, that mermaids and sirens/ never really existed.” When asked why one cannot feel Earth’s spin, he responds with a ditty: “There’s a spaceship christened Planet Earth,/ Hurtling through the void, the place of our birth.” In “Why don’t you talk about proverbs anymore?” the author describes them as contradictory and encourages readers to create their own for amusement. The compassionate and educational replies are enhanced by midcentury-modern-style color pencil illustrations by Yoon (Supposing...), who depicts worshipped Egyptian cats, figures of varying skin tones engaging in myriad activities, and whimsy galore, making for a simultaneously thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud work that tackles questions regarding flights of fancy and contemporary existence. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)■

November 1, 2023
Translated questions from kids, answered by renowned Italian children's writer Rodari in his 1950s newspaper columns. Rodari, who grew up during Mussolini's reign, briefly joined the Fascists to obtain work but actively resisted the regime. His ethos shines through in this work; respect for his child audience mingles with his pro-labor, anti-authoritarian outlook. He often appends mini-parables and rhyming ditties to his answers. Throughout, Rodari excoriates proverbs for their fusty, contradictory didacticism. Responding to "Why do we have to study?" he notes that learning helps students make the world "a better and more beautiful place"--yet he urges children to seek lessons beyond books, in firsthand experiences. His brilliant riposte to why gold is so precious locates its answer in the human labor expended to extract it. He then skewers the proverb "Silence is golden," avowing that if "it's the right time to express your point of view, then silence isn't even worth as much as...sawdust." Rodari provides pithy answers to basic queries about rainbows, light bulbs, and auto engines. There are koanlike nuggets for some "whys," from "Why are kings kings?" ("because they say so") to "Why does it rain? ("because of the sun") to "Why do we all wish for things?" ("wishing...amounts to living"). His riff on the secret to lifelong happiness is lovely and affirmative: "You learn it from life." Depicting diverse children and adults, Yoon's whimsical illustrations further enliven the text. Welcome insights from a celebrated author. (introduction from Shugaar, artist's note) (Informational picture book. 6-12)

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December 22, 2023

Gr 3-5-This is a whimsical offering from Rodari, who answered children's questions through his weekly newspaper column. He gave insightful answers that were part fact, part poem. Children would send in questions such as "Why are grown-ups always right?" or "Why doesn't the moon fall down?" He has been compared to Lewis Carroll in regards to his style of using "logic and illogic" to shape his responses. He aimed to help children make sense of their world. Each question and their answers are paired with Yoon's beautiful illustrations, which are as charmingly eccentric as the answers. They are done in a fantastic colored pencil style, and vary from a small corner or page border to entire spreads. An artist's note describes how Rodari's work inspired this new art. The book includes an introduction to Rodari written by the translator, an artist's note, and a table of contents, which is a list of every question sent in by a child. Overall, this book might be a little hard to place in a nonfiction collection. It's part poetry, part factual. But it might work well in a picture book collection for older readers. VERDICT A decent purchase for libraries.-Kristin J. Anderson

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