Book of Questions

Intriguing questions with no answers make up this oversize dual-language volume by two Chilean creators, featuring Neruda’s sophisticated musings. Paulson’s translations of the poet’s lines are sometimes playful—“When I look once more at the sea,/ does the sea see me or not see me?”—and often beautiful: “So, how do roots know/ they must rise up to the light// And later greet the air with crowds of colorful flowers?” Employing a black, green, red, and yellow palette, Valdivia’s artwork feels as dark and mysterious as Neruda’s questions. Elegantly designed with many bonus gatefolds, the pages include humorous inquiries such as, “Why, when expecting snow,/ do trees take off their clothes?” and close with a final provocative one: “Might I ask my book /if I’m the one who really wrote it?” Similar to Jostein Gaarder’s Questions Asked, this unusual collection will speak to thoughtful young readers who appreciate enigmas. Ages 7–up. (Apr.)