Why Is the Sky Up? - Hardcover

PreSchool-Grade 1-- A useful title for one-on-one sharing or for a group read-aloud. A preschooler's nonstop queries are answered in an inventive manner by his patient father. "Why is the day light?" "Why are we the right way up?" "Why do the clouds move?" In response, the father conjures images of the confusion that would result if things weren't just as they are. The final question is reassuringly answered at bedtime; when asked "Why is there a world?," the loving parent states that without one there would be " . . . no you, no me, no questions. Good night now." On each double-page spread, Dunbar's rosy bright ink-and-watercolor cartoons contrast the chunky child and family at home with creative scenarios depicting his father's description of a world without logic. Although not all the answers work equally well, the pictures will hold the interest of children who themselves wonder how it all works. Parents who read the book just might find renewed energy to cope with their own youngsters' insatiable curiosity. --Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha Public Library, WI
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The most popular word in the toddler vocabulary--"why"--gets a workout in this meager picture book offering. An inquisitive youngster asks his father a series of questions about the physical world around us, for example: "Why is the moon so far away?" Without hesitation, Dad delivers the response--and all his answers--in a reassuring tone: "The moon is far away to make us wonder why. If the moon were near we might turn it into a parking lot." Unfortunately, the humorless philosophical musings Dad provides contain little if any factual information, and very young children, who hold all-knowing adults in highest esteem, may have trouble recognizing these explanations as absurd. The pale, lighthearted illustrations border on silliness, though they fail to convince the intended audience that the text should not be taken seriously. Curious children and stymied parents will be better served elsewhere. Ages 2-4.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.