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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