Perfect Picture Book Friday Explores, What If One Day…

This Perfect Picture Book Friday asks a question my dad once asked me… “What if one day…” To be clear, when my dad posed the question, our conversation centered around meeting beings from other planets. Dad was an astrophysicist, so pondering questions about the universe was normal.

“Do you suppose they would see a handshake as a friendly greeting?” I asked.

“It’s possible,” Dad said. “But… extending our hand to shake on another planet could be viewed as a formal contract in which ten goats are traded for a daughter’s hand in marriage. Or it might be taken as an invitation to cook us for dinner with a side of potatoes.”

“Okay, forget the handshake, if we make it to an inhabited planet, we’ll just smile.”

Dad shook his head. “In the animal kingdom, showing your teeth could be viewed as a sign of aggression.”

“True,” I said. “What about holidays? Do you suppose beings on other planets celebrate occasions like weddings and birthdays?”

The “What if?” conversation with my dad went on for some time, and I loved every minute. This brings me to today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday Review where what if questions center around Earth.

Title – What If One Day…

Written by  –  Bruce Handy

Illustrated by – Ashleigh Corrin

Published by – Enchanted Lion Books, 2023

Suitable for ages – 4-8

Theme – Celebrating the wonders of our world.

Opening – What if one day…

all the birds flew away?

Mornings would be quieter. Skies would be plainer. Worms could relax.

But there are BIRDS!

From Amazon – View Here

What if one day, all the birds flew away? Mornings would be quieter. Skies would be plainer. Worms could relax. What if there were no more bugs? What if there ceased to be day and night? By asking how our world would change if it lacked birds, water, or people, and how we would feel about that, this playful text from Bruce Handy (The Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in Its Mouth), accompanied by joyful art from Ashleigh Corrin (Layla’s Happiness), invites readers to celebrate the beauty and wonder of existence, and all that makes our world what it is.

Why do I like this book? — I was instantly drawn to this book and couldn’t wait to see the direction the “What if” questions took. What if all the birds flew away? This is the first question the book poses, and the sad image of a world without birds took away more than the birds… it took away their music, too. The questions make us think. I was delighted that each question, no matter how bleak the outlook, delivered a set of reponses that included one humorous answer.

I picture a classroom filled with lively discussions, hands flying up with answers to each what if question. I picture a project where children are asked to draw the meaning of each question. This would be a colection of art I would greatly enjoy seeing.

I hope you’ll gather with family and friends and ask what if questions to see where the answers take you. You might even play this game by yourself to create a prompt for a story, poem, or picture.

I’ll start you off

1. What if our pets could speak?
2. What if birds didn’t like to eat insects.
3. What if, instead of speaking, we could only sing?
4. What if the sun were a different color?

If you’d like to share a what if question in the comments, I would absolutely love it!

Until next Friday,

Leslie