Pablo Neruda Book of Questions illustrated by Paloma Valdivia translated by Sara Lissa Paulson

Where does the stuff of dreams go? 

Does it pass into the dreams of others?

I am a fan of books with questions (and sometimes even answers). This book has some incredible and possibly unanswerable questions that might spark some philosophical discussions with your students in all grades. Here are a few of the questions selected for this book from 39 of the original poems that I enjoyed thinking about:

Who shouted for joy when the colour blue was born?

Do unshed tears wait in little lakes?

How did the abandoned bicycle find its freedom?

Does smoke strike up a conversation with clouds?

What knowledge is in the bee for it to figure out its itinerary?

Why don't they teach helicopters how to draw honey from the sun?

And what do you call that month between December and January?

See more art from Pablo Neruda Book of Questions

The text on this page says:

What do you call a flower that flits from bird to bird? 

Which birds dictate the order of the flock while it flies?

Editor's Note: "We hope that you enjoy these questions, and that, however they arrive for each of you, they come as a reminder of the vastness of our unknowing and a call to passionate engagement in endlessly re-envisioning the world."

Wait until you see the COVER of this book.  My image above does not do it justice. All of the printing is on a clear overlay and then when you lift this off you see the amazing illustration which stretches across the front and back covers.

With a clear acetate jacket with striking green lettering (an homage to Neruda’s affinity for writing in green ink, which he saw as the color of hope), this edition contains six magnificent gatefold spreads that lift to reveal more questions and expanded illustrations, inviting readers into deeper and deeper reflection. Enchanted Lion

Read more about this book and especially about the creation of the illustrations here. 

Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) was known as a poet and ambassador of the Chilean people. During a time of social upheaval, he traveled the world as a diplomat and an exile, served as a Senator for the Chilean Communist Party, and published more than 35,000 pages of poetry in his native Spanish. Here are a few quick facts:

• Pablo Neruda was the pen name of Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto
• He published his first poems when he was 13
• A Czech poet, Jan Neruda (1834-1891), inspired the young poet and so he took his last name
• He received numerous prestigious awards, including the International Peace Prize in 1950, the Lenin Peace Prize and the Stalin Peace Prize in 1953, and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971
• Neruda occupied many diplomatic positions in various countries during his lifetime and served a term as a Senator for the Chilean Communist Party
• When Neruda died in 1973, The Book of Questions was one of eight unpublished poetry manuscripts that lay on his desk

El libro de las preguntas (The Book of Questions) contains:

"320 unanswerable questions, these poems integrate the wonder of a child with the experiences of an adult. By turns Orphic, comic, surreal, and poignant, Neruda’s questions lead the reader beyond reason into realms of intuition and pure imagination. In his introduction, O’Daly writes, “These poems, more so than any of Neruda’s other work, remind us that living in a state of visionary surrender to the elemental questions, free of the quiet desperation of clinging too tightly to answers, may be our greatest act of faith.”

The 320 questions in the original book were presented in a sequence of 74 poems each containing three to six questions for a total of 320 questions. 

"What Neruda shares with us as an old man isn't the arrival of truth, but the astonishing freedom of a curious mind that dares to reimagine the world again and again."

Here is the English edition of his book (for adults):

Awards for Pablo Neruda Book of Questions illustrated by Paloma Valdivia:

• Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the 21st Century (So Far)
• NYT Best Children’s Book of 2022
• Marginalian (aka Brain Pickings) Favorite Book of 2022
• Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of 2023, Outstanding Merit
• 2023 Bologna Ragazzi Award Amazing Bookshelf Selection

How did I find Pablo Neruda Book of Questions? I borrowed an odd little book from a library illustrated by Paloma Valdivia. At first I was unfamiliar with this name but digging deeper I found she was a Hans Chrsitian Andersen nominee in 2024 and that she comes from Chile. A few years ago our IBBY Australia group met up with an IBBY delegate from Chile and we were able to show her our NSW State Library children's book exhibition. Investigating the art of Palmoa Valdivia I saw this book cover and a few of the pages and I was intrigued. Then I saw this AUS$35 book was reduced to AUS$28 so I decided to buy it!

I have no expertise about Pablo Neruda but by chance I recently talked about this book which is a biography suitable for readers aged 7+ and which I was shown when we were hosting our visitor from Chile:

Pablo Neruda Poet of the People

Our Table by Peter H Reynolds

One of my favourite things is when, it's a simple thing really, someone enthusiastically passes me a book, especially a picture book. Yesterday my colleague in Westmead Children's Hospital Book Bunker (library) pointed out Our Table which we had on a small display stand. I do wish we had room for more book displays - front facing books are way more enticing to readers that shelves full of spines.

Okay so now I have read a book that I want to share, gift, thrust into the hands of EVERY parent I see reading their phone and ignoring the precious little child in their care.

There are lines in this book that made me cheer and gasp:

"Recently, though, Violet found herself alone at the table. Her family had become busy. Very busy."

"She found her mother on the staircase ... charring silently on her phone."

"Violet found her brother in his room playing games with friends she could not see."

Then Violet sees that the family dining table, where everyone used to gather to talk and laugh, has now disappeared. Luckily Violet is a problem solver, she is a girl of action! She asks her father to join her to watch a carpentry program; she asks her mother to send a message on social media seeking a person who can build a table; she asks her brother to use his computer to draw a plan and then the action begins. 

You should share this book with parents, other adults, young children and older children. If you are looking for a text to explore the use of colours to express emotions this book is perfect. Violet's memories of the past are colourful but the technology distractions of her family make her world turn a monochrome purple. Building the new table, sharing stories around the table and the simple act of everyone coming together once again means life for the whole family is once again filled with vibrant colours.

Take a look at the trailer. 

In Reynolds’ established tradition, this story is simple and full of heart, celebrating the wonder and possibility of being human and being in relationship. Kirkus Star review

Our Table is a modern fable that is timeless for children and adults. It is a heartfelt, uplifting and important message for all families to balance their time connecting with each other and setting limits on their use of technical devices.  Children's Books Heal

I have talked about the wonderful and important books by Peter H Reynolds in previous posts such as this one. 

Book Week Challenges 2020

Book Week 17th October - 23rd October, 2020

This is controversial but I am not a fan of Book Week dress up days or parades.  I think Book Week should be a celebration of books, reading, libraries and creative thinking, so in my school, as an alternate activity, I set four Book Week challenges each year. You can read about some past challenges here. My rules are simple but of course you can set your own:

• the challenge must be completed during the school day 
• the deadline for entries is 3.25pm each day
• label your work with your name and class
• up to ten winners will be announced each morning and they will each received a small prize bag. There are also certificates for highly commended and commended entries
• You can visit a showcase of entries in the library during Book Week and beyond

Here are my challenges for 2020. As I have now left my previous school I designed these challenges for a friend who teaches Grade Five (Stage 3). Please feel free to use, adapt, adopt etc.  Here are eight challenges based around the 2020 CBCA slogan/theme Curious Creatures, Wild Minds. When I do this I only do four challenges over four days. It takes a long time (at night) to sift through the hundreds of entries. I think it is important to maintain the excitment by announcing winners each day. The image below is the badge available from the CBCA - just one of the merchandise items designed to celebrate the slogan this year. This honour always goes to the winner of the Picture book of the Year (2 years ago) and this time it is designed by Gwyn Perkins who won with his book A Walk in the Bush.

 

1. Two curious creatures meet – an argument ensues – who is the most curious? Decide which two creatures (animals real or imaginary) have met, and now decide how to present the argument– for example as a cartoon with speech bubbles or as a formal interview with a mediator or another idea. Extension idea: adjudicate the argument and declare a winner.

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 2. NASA will send the details of some animals from earth inside a rocket. They plan to send this rocket well beyond our solar system. The details of the animals from earth will be supplied as digital files, photos and drawings by children. The problem: Because there is limited space in the rocket it has been decided the details of only 100 animals can be included. We know there are 8.7 Million species of animals on earth. You have been asked to select ONE animal to include and then complete brief information for the digital file and, as a child, you also need to include your drawing of this creature. Extension idea: You may be asked to make a short one minute speech to justify your choice.

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3. We know animals see the world in quite different way from humans for example dogs can only see the colours Blue and Yellow. Select one animal, research how they see the world. Now draw or describe your bedroom from the point of view of your animal – it could be your pet or a wild animal or even an insect.  Extension idea add in other senses – what does your room smell like, sound like and/or taste like? 

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4. Our Australian coat of arms was designed in 1908. Other Australian animals are now demanding a change. Why should the emu and kangaroo take centre stage? Your task is to design a new Australian coat of arms with at least two different animals and attach one paragraph to justify your choices. Extension idea: design a new Australian $200 note which must include an animal image. 

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5. Just when we thought all the possible animals in our world had been discovered, an intrepid explorer has found a new, very tiny creature which cannot be seen with a human eye. Design a portable device that this explorer has taken on his trip so this creature can be described. Extension idea: This creature needs a scientific name and this must link to a famous explorer from history. 

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6. Let your mind go wild. It’s time to employ your imagination. You are going to host a party for every pet that lives in your street! You will need to design the invitations, food, decorations and games. Extension idea – prizes and treat bag contents. 

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7. There is a saying "curiosity killed the cat".  Write a very short story that reveals why this is NOT true. 

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8. You have the chance to interview a curious creature. This could be a real animal or an imagined one, it could even be a mythical beast. Think about what you would like to know and write five open-ended questions.  Extension idea - write the answers and consider making this funny.

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Here are some photos of children's work from past years:

If you like this idea or you use some challenges I'd love to hear about your experience.  You might like to write a comment?

Square by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

Square is the second book in a set of three. You can probably guess all the titles Circle, Triangle and here is Square. One very interesting thing I noticed after reading reviews of the Shapes Trilogy is the wildly divergent audience suggestions. Kirkus say Square is for 10+, Triangle is for ages 2-4 and Circle is for 4-8.  I wonder if these were the ages Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen anticipated for these three wonderful books.  In my view these three books could easily be enjoyed by children in Kindergarten right up to adult readers.

Square is such a deep book. How amazing. It has very few words. It does not use a complex vocabulary and has only two shapes as the characters. For me, though, this is not a simple book. It is a book about work (is it futile?), creativity, self esteem and point of view. There would be so much to discuss here with a class of older students.

Square is working hard. His 'job' seems to follow the same routine every day. He seems okay with his life. Perhaps he doesn't question why the blocks need moving each day. Along comes Circle. She sees his blocks and declares they are a work of art. Square in not sure about this new idea. Circle praises the talents of Square and commissions him to make a circle. Square tries so hard but making a perfect circle from one his blocks proves impossible. Square feels like a failure but Circle sees the world in a different way. She sees wonder in his work - a circle of stones with a puddle in the middle which provides a perfect reflection.

"You are a genius,' said Circle.
But was he really?"

I love the shape of Square - it is a square, of course, but with rounded edges. I love the cover made from thick card the kind you usually find on board books. And I love those expressive eyes which seem to look straight at the reader.

Walker Books have made a set of teaching notes based around all three books. Watch this video where Mac and Jon talk about their books. Here is an interview with Mac and Jon.

Read some reviews.

• Publishers Weekly
• The Book Sniffer

This book takes a sweeter turn from its prankish predecessor in that Square works hard to create something for Circle, only to feel like he failed; but when Circle sees what he created, she is “beguiled” once more by his genius.  School Library Journal

For all its brevity, chockablock with philosophical topics to ponder and debate. Kirkus

What do you do with an idea? Written by Kobi Yamada illustrated by Mae Besom

What do you do with an idea? Especially an idea that's different or daring, or just a little wild?  Do you hide it? Walk away from it? Do you pretend it isn't yours?

These are two very special books you could use with any class from the youngest to oldest children. In the first book What do you do with an idea? we see a little boy and his growing idea.

"I was afraid that if people saw it, they would laugh at it. I was afraid they would think it was silly."

This is a gentle book with themes of mindfulness, problem solving, resilience, perseverance, and the power of the individual.  Here is a set of excellent discussion questions.  This book is would also be useful for class work on visual literacy as we watch the colours gently progress from sepia to warm sunshine.

What do you do with a problem? is a more complex book.  You could pair this with Mr Huff.

"I worried about what would happen. I worried about what could happen. I worried about this and worried about that."

When the boy finally confronts his problem he discovers it was not what he thought.  He reverses his view and sees the problem as an opportunity and again the final pages are filled with warm colours.

Here is a detailed review and a video of What do you do with an idea?  and a Nerdy Book Club review. Here is the Kirkus review of the companion volume What do you do with a problem?