Question Boy Meets Little Miss Know-It-All

Starred review from November 21, 2011
In Catalanotto’s surreal suburbia, many of the residents are costumed superheroes—there’s Garbage Man and the duo of Mailman and Paperboy to name a few. But their grownup powers are useless in the face of the title characters’ Kryptonite-like relentlessness. Question Boy sends people fleeing with his endless interrogations (“Could you fit a whale in there?” he asks Garbage Man of his truck. “How about a brontosaurus?”), while Little Miss Know-It-All evokes a similar
response with her nonstop spewing of knowledge, accurate or not (“Hippos run faster than people! Hamsters blink only one eye at a time!”). When these two go toe to toe in a city park (complete with references to classic Star Trek and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly), it’s more than a comic smackdown. Catalanotto (Ivan the Terrier) slyly uses the duel to comment on the disintegration of civil discourse, the importance of connecting to others as individuals, and the possibilities for common ground through simply listening. A story that starts out as a wonderfully weird comedy ends up a surprisingly nuanced lesson in the art of being human. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from January 15, 2012
An irresistible force meets an immovable object with hilarious results. The superheroes that populate this town are no match for Question Boy. With his insatiable need to know, he can make Garbage Man, Oil Man and Wonder Waitress run for cover to escape his incessant queries. Then he meets Little Miss Know-It-All, who answers all his questions and then some, peppering him with one factoid after another until he is supine on the grass, seemingly defeated. Dizzy with victory, she starts to leave in triumph, when Question Boy raises the most unanswerable question of all, the all-purpose "Why," screaming it over and over until she is driven to give the only possible response. Used most often by exasperated adults, her answer settles the matter convincingly, at least for the present. Thus the contest is done, and to the cheers of the onlookers, the two rivals walk off together as friends. These precocious characters are instantly recognizable, and Catalanotto brings them to life with tenderness and humor in rapid-paced action and dialogue. The text, boldfaced and widely spaced, is set in the delightfully and appropriately named "CC Yada Yada Yada." Extra-bright and colorful watercolor paintings of various sizes, shapes and perspective perfectly complement and enhance the tale. Grownups beware. Youngsters might have their own questions and answers after this romp. (Picture book. 4-8)

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February 1, 2012

PreS-Gr 1-Question Boy roams the city, vanquishing foes with endless queries. Garbage Man, Police Woman, and Oil Man all flee from his barrage, but he meets his match in Little Miss Know-It-All. They face off, hurling questions and random facts till they both collapse. Strong, clever writing plays with the comic superhero genre: "He left Wonder Waitress woozy. Even Mailman and Paperboy were no match for his need to know." Unfortunately, the impressionistic watercolor and gouache art is an unnatural fit for comic-book adventure, and the slightly blurry people can feel bland and stilted. Little Miss Know-It-All's litany of trivia indiscriminately mixes truth with fiction, leaving young fact hounds to wonder what is strange but true, and what is "malarkey." While the concept of community workers as superheroes and children with super-strength skills at asking questions and knowing all the answers will appeal to both parents and kids, the negatives here outweigh the positives.-Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2012
Grades K-2 Question Boy meets every situation with insatiable curiosity. With his incessant questions he stumpsand drives awaythe neighborhood's most illustrious superheroes: Garbage Man, Police Woman, and Paperboy. That is, until he encounters Little Miss Know-It-All. She has answers to all of his questions, and hundreds to spare. Indeed, Question Boy is helpless as answers keep cominguntil he turns the tables with that most powerful of questions: Why? In an epic battle of childhood banter, who will emerge victorious? Catalanotto's realistic, saturated watercolors, and blurry depth of field, paint an immediate and concrete backdrop for the comic action. Hand-lettered-style typeface, occasional paneling, and playful use of perspective add to the comic sensibility. The costumed adult superheroes read as inventions of the protagonists' imaginations, but their own costumes seem real enough. Indeed, children may not see themselves in the likes of Question Boy and Little Miss Know-It-All, but they are sure to recognize their siblings and friends.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)