Twenty Questions
Age 3+
Picture Storybooks
Award-winning creators Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson tap deep into childhood curiosity with a mind-tickling ode to the open-ended.
Not all questions have answers. Some have more than one answer. And others have endless answers, unfolding out to the edges of the world. In this spare yet expansive narrative, acclaimed author Mac Barnett poses twenty questions both playful and profound. Some make us giggle. Others challenge our assumptions. The result is a quirky, wandering exploration of where the best questions lead – to stories. Intriguing, richly interactive, and brought to vivid life by, Caldecott Honor Artist, Christian Robinson’s bright and whimsical illustrations, Twenty Questions is a charming invitation to speculate without limits and know no bounds.
Creators
Mac Barnett is the author of many highly regarded picture books for children, including Just Because, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault; A Polar Bear in the Snow, illustrated by Shawn Harris, and John’s Turn, illustrated by Kate Berube. He is also the author of several books illustrated by Jon Klassen, including Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, a Caldecott Honor Book and E. B. White Read-Aloud Award winner; the Shape trilogy; and The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse, an E. B. White Read-Aloud Award winner. Find him online at macbarnett.com and on Instagram and Twitter as @macbarnett.
Christian Robinson is the bestselling illustrator of several books for children, including Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña; The Bench, by Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex; and Just in Case You Want to Fly and When's My Birthday?, both written by Julie Fogliano. Find him online at theartoffun.com, on Instagram as @theartoffun and on Twitter as @theartoffunnews.
Reviews
Highly recommended. This intriguing, investigative book will lead readers to ask questions, answer some, ask others, connect with others and share their answers, so initiating stories based on some of the imaginings… Quirky, explorative, leading, the twenty questions posed in the book will initiate many more as kids grab hold of the opportunity offered in developing story.I remember being offered one liners as openings to a story to be written in an exam, how much better is this, offered a question which could lead anywhere and everywhere, supported by Christian Robinson’s amazing illustrations, each as different as the last, each offering a context to the question posed, each offering an open ended investigation.. would love to be a fly on the wall for some of the discussions that evolve after reading this book. Full of wit and humour, the whole book grabs the reader and encourages them to think, imagine, observe. What a treat!
ReadPlus
The questions become more and more intriguing, inspiring children to use their imaginations and make up any story they wish. There are no wrong answers. Each question is expressed in playful terms with amusing illustrations but the whole concept is thought provoking and, for older children, challenging. Created by the award-winning author Mac Barnett and Caldecott Honoree, Christian Robinson, the book would be a delight for any age, adults included.
Reading Time
Children are brilliant at creating stories and coming up with the most fascinating of thoughts and I can only imagine the kind of wonderful ideas that would be generated from such varied and thought-provoking stimuli. A genius conception, superbly executed and one that I think is absolutely brilliant!
A Word About Books
Not all questions have answers. Some have more than one answer. And others have endless answers, unfolding out to the edges of the world. In this sparse yet expansive narrative, acclaimed author Mac Barnett poses twenty questions both playful and profound. Some make us giggle. Others challenge our assumptions. The result is a quirky, wandering exploration of where the best questions lead – to stories. Intriguing, richly interactive, and brought to vivid life by, Caldecott Honor Artist, Christian Robinson’s bright and whimsical illustrations, Twenty Questions is a charming invitation to speculate without limits and know no bounds.
Readings
