Questions Asked

Gr 3 Up—This layered philosophy primer from Gaarder of Sophie's World fame tells the story of a nameless young boy who works out the loss of a sibling during a trip into the woods. The entire narrative consists of a series of thought-provoking questions, mashed up with Düzakin's dreamy, calming illustrations. A ghostly figure follows the boy to a clearing and looks on as he digs up a box full of black-and-white photos, a journal, and other trinkets. Past and present alternate to reveal a boy who is devastated after losing his twin brother. The profound questions ("How do I talk?" "Can those who are not with us any more know how we are?" "Can anyone know what I think?") give clues to the boys' relationship, but we are left wondering how the twin died, and the boy's rebound from a near-fatal walk into a nearby pond seems abrupt. The unique presentation allows for the book to be read in multiple ways. The questions can stand alone as inspiration for a creative writing or journal exercise. The delicate illustrations, akin to those of Peter McCarty, function in much the same way as a wordless picture book does. Together, they weave a melancholy tale of grief and the healing that inevitably comes with time.