Ceci Ann's Day of Why

October 30, 2006
Phillips's (The Philosophers' Club
) moving and delightfully rendered picture book pays tribute to the rewards of being fully present in the world. As the African-American heroine looks around her, she's inspired to ask a host of interesting questions, all of them beginning with "Why?" "Why are there birds?/ Why is there sky?" she asks as she walks to school with her dad. "Why are there words?/ Why is there why?" She never hears the answers, but they are beside the point anyway; what's important—and empowering—is Ceci Ann's attentiveness, her openness to phenomena both profound ("Why is that round?" she ponders when kids blow bubbles on the playground) to silly (fun with her best friend makes her wonder, "Why do we giggle? Why do we gush?"). Using Phillip's spare, Zen-like rhymes as a springboard, newcomer Arihara takes flight with her gouache spreads of everyday childhood situations. At times, the mood is contemplative, but the pictures never feel overly austere or ruminative. Mostly, the simple shapes, bright colors and evocative textures (suggesting a clay wall or a grassy playground) portray a world full of activity and maybe even a bit scary at times (there is a run-in with a bully and a big dog). A sense of calm emanates from the heart of the pictures, and it's clear that Ceci Ann's questions are the result of feeling loved and secure. Ages 4-7.

January 1, 2007
In his first picture book, the author of the adult philosophy title " The Socrates Cafe "(2001) celebrates the big, evocative questions that often come out of the mouths of babes. Despite the title, the text never refers to a main character, consisting exclusively of open-ended " why "questions grouped into loosely rhyming verses: "Why are there birds? Why is there sky? Why are there words? Why is there why?" The absence of answers (or cues to guide discussion) may lead to frustration, but it's the striking illustrations by newcomer Arihara that give shape to Phillips' rather directionless words. Richly textured gouache paintings pair the questions with successive moments of a day in the life of an African American girl and portray her multicultural, urban community with an affection that calls forth Ezra Jack Keats. From classroom to playground to neighborhood and cozy home, these buoyant images provide little ones with plenty to look at and talk about--even if the accompanying questions fail to spark the intended dialogue.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)