{"product_id":"the-book-of-whys-9781592703647","title":"The Book of Whys","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFactual as well as whimsical, and humorously illustrated, this is the first English-language publication of the answers given by one of Italy's greatest and most beloved children's authors to children's questions about animals, nature, technology, and culture.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWinner of the 2023 Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs's English Translation Prize! Selected for the 2025 White Ravens catalog of notable international children's literature!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGianni Rodari is widely regarded as the father of modern Italian children's literature. A firm believer in the great intelligence of children, he worked both as a teacher and a journalist. For a number of years, children across Italy sent their questions to his weekly newspaper column--questions Rodari answered, most inventively, with rhymes and little poems. \u003ci\u003eWhy didn't he reply with facts alone?\u003c\/i\u003e Because he wanted to provoke children into thinking about questions, norms, and language itself. \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Whys \u003c\/i\u003ecollects a selection of these questions--from \"Why does an elephant have a trunk?\" to \"Why does a car need fuel?\" to \"Why are we born?\"--along with Rodari's answers, which beautifully serve to highlight the complexities, simplicities, and absurdities of our world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith a fresh translation from Antony Shugaar, who also translated Rodari's \u003ci\u003eTelephone Tales \u003c\/i\u003e(the 2021 Batchelder Award winner), and playful illustrations in colored pencils from artist JooHee Yoon (\u003ci\u003eBeastly Verse; The Tiger Who Would Be King\u003c\/i\u003e, a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003eBest Illustrated Book of 2015; \u003ci\u003eInside Out and Upside Down\u003c\/i\u003e), \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Whys \u003c\/i\u003eis a playful, surprising, and poetically informative book for all those who are curious about the world and ready to play with the ways things are.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Enchanted Lion\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/23\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781592703647\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 152\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.30lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.60h x 6.30w x 1.10d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/16\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/01\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/22\/2023 pg. 1\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Gianni Rodari","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52750021132469,"sku":"9781592703647","price":23.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-book-of-whys-9781592703647","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}