I Have a Question
by Andrew Arnold (Author) Andrew Arnold (Illustrator)
From rising picture book star Andrew Arnold comes I Have a Question, a book for anyone who's ever felt too shy, too afraid, or too silly to raise their hand and ask a question.
For Stevie, speaking up in class can be scary. So, when Ms. Gail asks, "Are there any questions?" Stevie looks around the classroom, hoping someone will raise their hand. But no one does. No one has a single question. Except Stevie.
"I can't ask, can I? If I do, I know just what will happen," Stevie thinks, beginning a journey of worried imagination. Everyone will certainly laugh, they'll think the question is silly, they'll think Stevie is silly.
But Stevie has to know. Stevie has to ask.
Written with terrific humor, empathy, and tenderness, author-illustrator Andrew Arnold's I Have a Question is wonderfully funny and mightily empowering--inspiring anyone who has ever felt too shy, too silly or too afraid to raise their hand.
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Publishers Weekly
In first-person narration, a child envisions the dire outcomes of saying something "silly" in class. After a lesson, the white-presenting youth considers asking a question but worries when classmates, portrayed with varied skin tones, stay silent. "I can't ask it, can I?" the protagonist concludes, weighed down by imaginings of the teasing that may result ("see ya later, silly-question kid"). A move to another town will be necessary, the narrator determines, and then another move to outer space, where no one can judge--and no one can provide answers. Finally, determining "I have to know," the child finds the courage to raise a hand for the benefit of all, unleashing heaps of classroom queries in the process. Spare comics-like renderings from Arnold have a contemporary vibe; humorous shots of furniture being moved onto a ship that blasts into space while the solitary protagonist peers from a window aptly capture the high-feeling stakes of anticipatory worries, as well as the very real emotions driving them. Ages 3-6. (Jan.)
Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
A warm and witty ode to curiosity. - Mac Barnett, Caldecott Honoree and New York Times-bestselling author of Sam & Dave Dig a Hole
This funny and relatable book shows how sometimes even one small act of personal bravery can feel as big as interplanetary travel. - Barbara Lehman, Caldecott Honoree and New York Times-bestselling author of The Red Book 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. - Horn BookPicture books
Emotions
Picture books for children
Bashfulness
Fear
