PPBF – What if one day…

I recently purchased a Perfect Picture Book that’s kept me wondering and thinking long after I finished reading and rereading it. Enjoy!

Title: What if one day…

Written By: Bruce Handy

Illustrated By: Ashleigh Corrin

Publisher/Date: Enchanted Lion Books/2023

Suitable for Ages: 4 and up

Themes/Topics: imagination, loss, absence

Opening:

What if one day…

all the birds flew away?

Brief Synopsis: A series of questions and answers positing the absence of natural occurrences, the results of those absences, and the realization that the absences haven’t happened.

Links to Resources:

• Imagine something you love and imagine how your life, and even the world, would change without that thing (but remember, what you love is still here);
• Draw a picture of something you love.

Why I Like this Book:

Kids love to wonder and pose “what if” questions. By positing several “what if” scenarios that are kid-relatable and then adding reassurance that any bad things haven’t happened, Handy has written a picture book that will appeal to kids and their adult readers.

I love the open-ended nature of the text. It truly feels like a child posed the questions, fretting about things beyond their control. But Handy reassures worried children, because, after all, none of these things have happened.

I also love the infusion of humor: If water disappeared, “soap wouldn’t work.” If plants stopped growing, there would be “no more french fries.” If colors “faded away”, “zebras wouldn’t care.”

Corrin furthers Handy’s sparse text with colorful illustrations, many of which seem to leap off the page. Several illustrations also add humor – worms relaxing on a chaise lounge and reading a book, a “for rent” sign on a wasp’s nest, and an anteater eating broccoli with a fork are three of my favorites.

And to keep kids and their grown-ups thinking long after they’ve finished reading What if one day…, Handy addresses the reader directly with a final question. I won’t spoil the ending by sharing it. You’ll have to read this book to find out!

A Note about Craft:

Repetition, low word-count, and absurd humor. Handy includes all of these plus an ending that addresses the reader directly.

This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!