Novità News Nouveautés autés Back to the top Kirkus Reviews - February 15, 2011 Pfister's latest book is a sweetly simple look at some very deep questions, allo- wing 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. 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 in- herent in each question. In a world that so often emphasizes answers and solid facts, it is refreshing to see a text that encourages question- ing, whether realistic or imaginative flights of fancy. (Picture book. 3-7) Publisher’s Weekly - January 2011 In an age when infinite answers are available in an instant, maybe the questions we ask are what matter most. “There’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 fath based (“Who teaches butterflies to fly/ splashing their colors through the sky?”). In a depar- ture from his Rainbow Fish series, Pfister has created images as pity as they are poignant, boldly graphic and dramatically cropped against white backgrounds. A blue-headed songbird is reminiscent of Asian watercolour; a storm cloud looks like it’s been fashio- ned from salt dough; falling leaves seem cut from pieces of thickly tufted carpet. Altough each was created using the same painted paper method (Ex- plained in the final page), the results are as varied as the questions. Ages 3-up. (Mar.) Midwest Book Review (Karyn's Bookshelf) - March 2011 Bold Crayola hues beckon from the cover of Swiss author and illustrator Marcus Pfister's newest work. Inside a color explosion continues, from amber autumn leaves to angry charcoal blue storm clouds to orange and purple butterflies. But it's not just the color that awes. Pfister's experimentation with texture - applying acrylic paint to cardboard and then thickly stamping it onto paper -- results in page after page of enticing composition. And the poem-based text ponders nature's mysteries in a wonderfully childfriendly cadence. "Does a whale make up a song so other whales will sing along?" it ponders. And "do apple seeds dream happily of growing up to be a tree?" Migrating geese, sea shells and fire are among the topics. Originally published in Switzerland and recently translated into English, "Questions, Questions" is a rare, near perfect symphony of art and words, a new treasure that once again cements Pfister as a formi- dable writer and artist of our time. Snow Puppy - the new Christmas Book! When Sophie goes shopping with her parents, Rascal has to stay home all by himself. It’s just plain mean. Then Rascal notices some- thing unusual outside the window. White specks are floating down  from the sky. Anyone who has ever loved a puppy will instantly recognize                 Rascal’s excitement over his first snow, his fear when he gets   lost in it, and his joy when he’s reunited with his Sophie.   Ava’s Poppy - February 2012 IAva is delighted when she discovers a brilliant red poppy in the field in front of her house. She sits with the flower in the sunny days of summer and shields it in the rain, until one day the petals start to drop and the beautiful flower fades. But when spring comes again... Ava is surprised anew. My favourite book - I love it! Reviews of “Questions, questions”, 2011