(2) K-3 Two succulent-looking sentient plants search for meaning in this philosophical picture book. Easygoing Worthi seems content with life, but Nelli is restless and wonders about finding one's purpose: "I heard it gives you strength when life gets tough." Worthi drags Nelli into the forest to look for answers. The friends try to contemplate (and not be overwhelmed by) the scale of either the concepts they're considering or the natural world they explore, with amusing results: a purpose is satisfying and comforting, but it is not a baked potato. The pair then meets a charming cast of mindfulness-centered characters introduced one by one with a steady, rhythmic pace. A frog stuck in a spiderweb questions goodness; a meditative stinkbug encourages looking within; and a bee endorses following one's heart. The dialogue-only text is full of care and curiosity, with scaffolding for readers new to the comics format provided by color-coded speech balloons and lots of white space. The digital illustrations have a dreamlike texture to them, with fuzzy, misty edges and jeweled hues. When the day is through, the tiny plants haven't found any answers, but they enjoyed the journey and look forward to continuing their quest and thinking more tomorrow.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) PS "There are big things and little things in the world." Here Henkes meditates on the world and our place in it. There are tiny things (kittens, ladybugs, flowers), and there are enormous things (the sea, the sun, the moon). "Most of the things are in-between. Like you. And me." At heart, this is a concept book about size, but also perspective. Short declarative sentences sit alongside spare ink and watercolor illustrations contained in panels on spreads with ample white space. Encased in the square trim size that has become Henkes's trademark, the complexity of existence becomes something even a three- or four-year-old can consider. One image shows huge ocean waves, but a few pages later we see that a child can hold some of the ocean water in their hands. A kitten sits in a small child's lap on one page; a few pages later, the same kitten basks in the light of the sun, one of the largest objects a child can see. Henkes's strength is in the poetry of the everyday and finding the profound in ordinary moments, and that strength is on full display in a book that is simultaneously soothing and mind-blowing. "Everything is in the world." Shelve this somewhere between concept and philosophy--and get it into kids' hands.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(3) K-3 This German import introduces important philosophical ideas to young children with respect for their capacity to wonder: "How will I see the world when I grow up?" "Why am I afraid of what I don't know?" Teckentrup's illustrations, reminiscent of block prints, successfully use color, shape, and texture to convey the feelings behind the "big questions" and invite readers to explore their world.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Pete Oswald. After the Authorities imprison a "sad little fact" and its truth-telling brethren, all of which are colorful orbs with stick limbs, it's up to the fact finders (shovel-wielding geometric shapes) to rescue them. While the book's topicality won't elude older readers, kids will seize on the story's delightful absurdity and humor.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Using traditional legends, the limited historical facts available, and quotations from Confucius's own writing, Demi has created a readable picture-book biography that emphasizes the sage's philosophy and educational teachings--ideas that still live on twenty-five hundred years later. Demi's signature paint and ink illustrations--with their diminutive figures, intricate detail, and gold borders--are full of action. Bib.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Little People, Big Dreams series. Illustrated by Christine Roussey. Each appealing picture-book biography spotlights a famous woman and her accomplishments, foregrounding the influence of childhood experiences. Vegara emphasizes empowerment and tackles difficult issues (such as slavery in Tubman) with honesty and sensitivity, but overall the texts are pretty simplistic. The illustrations (each book by a different artist) vary greatly in style. Back matter includes photos and/or paintings along with more detailed biographical information. Reading list. Review covers these Little People, Big Dreams titles: Harriet Tubman, Jane Austen, Jane Goodall, L. M. Montgomery, and Simone de Beauvoir.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Banafsheh Erfanian. In this story inspired by a Franz Kafka aphorism, an empty birdcage seeks to lend itself existential meaning by finding a new bird to reside in its shelter. But every offer of comfort or companionship is summarily rebuffed, leaving the cage feeling deserted. A nonsensical plot is offset by strikingly vivid acrylic and oil-pastel illustrations.

Reviewer: Jessica Bushore

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. A reverie on life--its mutability, joys, and challenges--leads to a conclusion of hope: "There is always a new road to take." The poetic (if slightly bromidic) text is given rigor and specificity by a series of gorgeous, richly colored, dramatically lit landscapes and animal portraits. With its inspirational life lessons, this is sure to find its way to new graduates.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Júlia Sardà. An eccentric family is obsessed with making "lists most usual. And lists most unusual" (e.g. Mama's "lists of ghastly illnesses and the greatest soccer players"). One day a visitor arrives, adding a new perspective to their concept of list-making with his stream of philosophical questions. Gloomy, macabre-style illustrations add to the esoteric feel of this peculiar nonsense tale for older picture book readers.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Akin Duzakin. As its title suggests, this heady Norwegian import addresses existential questions to do with one's place in the world, as well as the experiences of people elsewhere. Lyrical text works seamlessly with Duzakin's evocative pastel and colored-pencil illustrations to introduce readers to a range of "what if?" scenarios (many on bleak topics such as war) that should prompt reflective, empathetic responses.

Reviewer: Debora Pearson

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Monique Felix. Animals, plants, and sensory experiences from nature pose the titular philosophical question to one another, while readers grapple with soft-edged, evocative illustrations that provide open-ended (but sometimes bewildering) answers to each. Oppenheim highlights different types of connection, occasionally confusing in their variety: smell to flower, branch to tree, jump to rope, etc. Gentle rhyming prose provides a springboard for discussion.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 "One quiet morning, a small boy landed on the page." There he plants a tree, falls in love, etc. Still, he ultimately tries jumping off, "only to tumble straight back" onto a scene full of the people who love him--"At last...he knew why he was here." This existential meditation works because the illustrations are lighthearted and the philosophizing light-handed.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA When Myrto's father dies, she finds herself betrothed to Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher. The narrative slowly builds as Myrto transforms from young woman to wife, mother, and something of a philosopher herself. Those interested in ancient Greek civilization and philosophy will enjoy the historical setting; the heavy philosophical bent may limit the story's appeal.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) YA In this sympathetic, well-documented, even scholarly biography of Baruch Spinoza, the seventeenth-century Dutch philosopher outcast by his Jewish community for questioning traditional doctrine, Lehmann covers and interprets the events of his life, including his publications, applauding the way he championed the human faculty of reason. Many period illustrations expand the dense text, though they're often dark and captioned in very small type. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) YA After his ex-girlfriend Jess gives birth to their son, Jack kidnaps the newborn (nicknamed Socrates) in a moment of panic over giving the baby to its adoptive parents, then takes off on an ill-advised road trip with the baby, Jess, and his best friend. The cerebral story goes from profound to self-indulgent as Jack ruminates on the philosophical implications of existence rather than facing real-life consequences.

Reviewer: Shara Hardeson

(2) YA Illustrated by Mari Araki. Tina ponders "personal existential identity" and the universe in this graphic novel, a journaling project for her English class on existential philosophy. She writes (and draws) about her Indian American family; the sudden, painful end to her closest friendship; and Big Questions about life, meaning, and identity. Tina's a relatable protagonist, and her unusual perspective is enlightening; the illustrations are expressive.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2012

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Marc Aspinall. Four chapters straightforwardly address questions about physiology, most focused on the human body though some stray to include philosophical queries ("What am I here for?" "How do I know I am real?") that are thought-provoking but feel incongruous. Retro-looking illustrations, "Brain Burn!" boxes, and relevant quotations fill the thick multicolored pages. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) YA Illustrated by Susan Gross. Stillman wrote the original edition of this advice book at age sixteen; this edition contains new and updated information such as coping with the pressures of the internet age. Though her tone borders on preachy at times, Stillman presents thoughtful insight on self-discovery, basic (if overly concise) summaries on major philosophies and world religions, and various activity suggestions.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Käthi Bhend. In this picture book for older readers, an orphan is left alone on Earth. He explores the heavens and discovers that the sun, moon, and stars are devastating illusions and sources of even more loneliness. The story, adapted from a play by Georg Büchner, is dark, morbid, and frightening--just right for middle schoolers. The illustrations evoke a fairy-tale feeling and leave room for imagination.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) YA Great Minds of Ancient Science and Math series. These dry but useful biographies explain their subjects' contributions during their own times, then discuss the men's later influence--or limitations, as with Euclidian geometry. Carefully documented facts are distinguished from legend and augmented with contextual material, such as information about Socrates in Plato and Aristotle. Captioned photos and a few diagrams illustrate the texts; brief activity sections are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Great Minds of Ancient Science and Math titles: The Father of Geometry, The Great Philosopher, and The Great Thinker.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian