What What What?
What What What?
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Written by Arata Tendo
Illustrated by Ryoji Arai
Translated from Japanese by David Boyd
He'll talk to anyone―even total strangers―to satisfy his curiosity. But not everyone likes his questions. And because some people get annoyed with him, he asks his grandparents, "Why does everyone always get mad at me?" Still, when Pan discovers that what he mistook for Halloween makeup on a schoolmate's face won't come off, he knows he’s got to get to the bottom of things. His search leads him from his teacher, to his classmate’s doorstep and before long, Pan has the entire community asking the same questions he is, “What’s up? What’s happened? What’s going on?”
Pan shows us all that a little bit of curiosity can go a long way, and that some things deserve more than a second glance.
ISBN: 978-1-59270-237-4
9.8" (W) x 9.8" (H) • 48 pages • HCJ
Grade Level: 4
Interest Level: 4-6
Lexile Level: 540
Guided Reading Level: S
AWARDS AND REVIEWS
"...guess what this book is about? If you think it’s about how a person’s greatest flaw can also be their greatest strength that would be partially correct. You’d also be right if you said it was about the dangers of child abuse and how sometimes only kids can see when a situation is truly wrong. Here’s some advice on this Japanese import―do not skim it. Read it cover to cover. ...when I sat down and read it through, I realized how it was taking a very very very difficult subject, and not only making it child-friendly but empowering as well. Try it. There is NOTHING else like it out there today." ―Betsy Bird, School Library Journal
"A halting and beautiful portrayal [of] one person's peeve becoming another person's rescue" —Matthew C. Winner of The Children's Book Podcast
“Under the guise of a simple story of a child posing lots of questions there is a much deeper meaning which shows that ignorance is very often a choice and that there are many things in life which challenge us to take a second look.” —Outside in World
"Every one of Tendo's lines has purpose; he moves the plot along, and changes readers' feelings toward Pan at a very deliberate pace. He also handles rather mature topics with aplomb by filtering them through the lens of a child who only understands that something is wrong. Praise should be given to the translator for a translation that positively pulls at your heart strings and is flexible enough for a word like dõshita (which is explained in the back). This is a third-person narrative, so Pan gets the chance to depict what he remembers through the artwork. Arai's naive style strikes that perfect balance between mimicking the mindset and capabilities of a child drawing with traditional media (including crayons) while delivering the quality expected from an award-winning illustrator. Unlike many picture books dealing with the theme of curiosity, What What What? is not just about this occasionally annoying habit. It teaches that we don't always question things enough, and that, only when we do, can we stop bad things from happening. … A powerful book that moves readers to think about their moral obligation to ask questions. A must-buy." —Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, School Library Journal