The Curious Why

March 1, 2024
In this follow-up to The Magical Yet (2020), a child finds an antidote to apathy. Talk about ennui! The red-spectacled, brown-skinned, dark-haired young protagonist is listless and bored. The little one has tried everything: the computer, toys...YAWN! But as the rhyming narration bounces along at a sprightly clip, a visitor arrives at the door. It's the Curious Why, who resembles a flowery, leafy artichoke. The Curious Why ushers the child along on an inspirational path to great fun and tremendous learning. "You're only bored if you choose to be," says the Curious Why. There's an enormous world out there just waiting to be explored by anyone who's willing to be a "knowledge-collector" and a "gotta-know creature." In other words, kids should ask questions about everything going on in the world. Where does the Why go for answers to these queries? The library, of course! On the next spread, we see the protagonist reading a book atop a winged prehistoric creature while dinosaurs mill about in the background. Other kids explore their passions, too; one uses a telescope to study the stars, another bakes, and another learns about bees. DiTerlizzi offers youngsters an upbeat, sensible cure for a serious case of the blahs; it's not necessarily guaranteed to work, but it's definitely worth a try. Readers will love the colorful, energetic, swirling digital illustrations, especially those dinos. Background characters are diverse. Why not? Fun, cheery, and entertaining: just the ticket for the perennially inquisitive--or perpetually bored. (Picture book. 4-7)

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May 31, 2024

PreS-Gr 3-A richly colored paean to the pleasures of interest and inquiry. DiTerlizzi and Alvarez G�mez's follow-up to The Magical Yet is another hyper-positive, bouncily rhymed cheerleader text meant to inspire and encourage bored or frustrated readers. With rhythms that nod to Dr. Seuss and that perennial graduation favorite, Oh The Places You'll Go!, and a glowing, hyper-saturated palette that wouldn't be out of place in a Pixar film, the pages of this book seem destined for a future of re-use as inspirational posters for library purchase. The Curious Why itself is personified as a leafy sprite who leads the protagonist (you) and friends through lushly detailed landscapes and learning environments, but seems extraneous as a character. VERDICT Like its predecessor in the series, this book will appeal largely as a classroom read rather than a title for readers to choose themselves, but its positive message will be welcomed in many educational settings.-Katya Schapiro

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