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Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and eleven

Every so often I find a picture book that has a universal message that I think everyone, including adults, can appreciate. Today's picture book is just such a title. The book is full of gorgeous art, and it has a story that conveys an idea that should be important to all of us.


The Three Questions [Based on a story by Leo Tolstoy]The Three Questions
Jon J. Muth
Picture Book
Ages  and up
Scholastic, 2003, 0-439-19996-4
   Nikolai wants very much to be a good person, but sometimes he is not always sure how to go about being such a person. He has three questions for which he wishes he had the answers. He is sure that if he had the answers he would be able to “always know what to do.” Nikolai then tells his three friends what his three questions are: “When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do?” They listen carefully to the boy, and then they tell him what they think the answers are. Each of Nikolai’s friends (a heron called Sonya, a monkey called Gogol, and a dog called Pushkin) have different answers, and though he appreciates hearing their words, Nikolai cannot help feeling that “their answers didn’t seem quite right.”
   So Nikolai goes to see Leo the turtle who is very old and wise and who may know the answers to the three questions. Nikolai experiences many adventures and dangers. He finds himself helping others who need his aid, and doing so gives him great pleasure. Helping others also helps him to understand the nature of his questions, and the answers to them.
   This wonderful version of a story told by Leo Tolstoy is powerful and heart-warming. We are reminded that the important things in life are often the things that are right in front of us. All we have to do is look into our hearts and the answers will come.
   With glorious watercolour paintings that have a definite Asian influence to them, “The Three Questions” is a book which can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. The author provides a note at the back of the book to explain the book and how he came to create it.

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