#365PictureBooks 27. What If ... ? by Anthony Browne

Gurney, P., & Webb, P. (2010). Kiwi Corkers: A Kiwi Christmas Carol. Auckland, New Zealand: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9780552565196
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Book
Rating: 4 stars

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Joe has been invited to his first big party.  Unfortunately he has lost the invite.  He knows which street he lives on but he can't remember the house number.  As he and his mum set of in search of Tom's house Joe's imagination starts to get the better of him and he spends the whole journey worrying.  Each house they pass brings another set of worries as they pause to peer inside and find some surprising sights.  Will they find Tom's house?  And will all of Joe's worries be real? 

Full of the repeated refrain "What If ...? and the worries of many children of dealing with a new situation (and adults if I am to be honest), Anthony Browne (former Children's Laureate) leads us on a journey of self discovery and how our imagination can make us blow things out of proportion.  

In typical Browne fashion his illustrations are extremely thought provoking, and yet entirely appropriate for the story.  There are two types of illustrations.  There is Joe and his mother done in a combination of blue-tones that depict the worry and self-doubt they feel and their continuing discussion which moves seamlessly between images.  These images are predominantly in sequential graphic-novel style boxes.  Then there are the full colour pages that display the house from the outside and what they can see.  Followed by an amazing two-page spread of what is happening on the inside of each room they look into as they pass.

The concept behind the story is fine for younger children and they will enjoy the full-page colour illustrations.  However I think that older children will get more out of this book.  Not just because the illustrations are so sophisticated.  I believe that older children will 'get' the issue of self-doubt more-so than younger children and be able to relate their own experiences to it (and maybe build some confidence of their own in their understanding!).  Hence I have classified it as more of a Middle Childhood 7-12yrs read.

What a fantastic way to discuss with children how their worries can often make things seem so much worse than they really are.  And if you didn't want to read it for the story-line, then Anthony Browne's artwork is a-may-zing to look at and spend hours pouring over.  A fantastic book to add to your collection.

I got my copy of What If ... ? from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.