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Arnold, Andrew

I Have a Question

40 pp. | Roaring Brook | January, 2023 | Trade ISBN 978-1-250-83824-7 $18.99
(2) K-3 "And that, class, is what we call metamorphosis... Are there any questions?" Our young protagonist does indeed have a question (per question-mark thought bubble) but is immediately plagued by self-consciousness and doubt. No one else seems to have one, and asking would just shine an unwanted spotlight. A series of what-ifs? goes through the child's mind, played out in clear, lively digital car-toons with oversize, shout-y speech balloons: "YOU CALL THAT A QUESTION?...LOOK, EVERYONE! IT'S SILLY-QUESTION KID!...SILLY-QUESTION KID IS IN OUR CLASS!" After a brief imagined sojourn to outer space, where there's no one to poke fun at question-askers--but there's no one to answer questions, either--the child returns to the real-life classroom, cautiously raises a hand, and voices the query: "How do you know if a caterpillar is going to turn into a butterfly or a moth?" A very good question--and one that opens the floodgates for other classmates' wonderings. (Who would win in a fight, a butterfly or a moth?) Reluctant queriers will relate to the issues raised by the story, which doesn't take itself too seriously, and may well feel a sense of relief and reassurance. Although some of the questions are actually quite ridiculous ("Can I be a moth?"), the act of asking them isn't.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

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