Archie is a rhino with a LOT of questions. He wants to know everything: "Why glue is so sticky? Why do dropped things go SMASH?" If only finding out was a little less messy...Everybody's much-loved rhino returns in this brand-new sequel to No! from the wonderful Tracey Corderoy (Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam and The Little White Owl) and award-winning Tim Warnes (I Don't Want to Go to Bed). Brimming with gorgeous illustrations, this warm, funny book is guaranteed to become a firm favourite. A must for all families with curious toddlers who just love to ask "WHY?"
My Review
Why? is a delightful picture book full of fun, adventure and a little bit of frustration...on the parents part anyway. Every child goes through the why stage and while it can be rather cute and funny at times, it can also have some parents pulling their hair out.
We adored Tracey's last picture book, No! and we were just as pleased with this. My daughter said to me recently "You know, children are allowed to ask lots of questions because that's how they learn about the world around them." I was baffled, who on earth had she been talking to? But it also make me realise that she was exactly right. While an endless stream of questions and whys can be tedious, a child's inquisitive nature is a really great thing.
This storyline sees the super cute Archie asking why? to just about everything. Not only that, he's making the biggest mess along the way. His parents decide to take him to the museum, because lets face it, that seems to be a good place for asking questions...until he starts asking some embarrassing ones...
The ending will most definitely put smiles on faces everywhere!
Tim Warnes' illustrations are so good. They are super vibrant and very busy. We think little Archie is the cutest rhino in rhino history!
Why? is a wonderful picture book that is not only perfect for inquisitive toddlers but also worn down parents. It really is a must!
A BIG 5 stars!
“Why?”
by
Tracey Corderoy
“Why do worms wriggle?”
“Why is rain wet?”
“Why can’t I eat ice-cream forever!”
When
we are young the world is jam-packed with so very much to find out.
Possibilities are endless, expeditions imperative, and consequences
rarely considered. Finding out is fun and something to be done. “Now! Let’s go! Quick!”
In ‘Cider with Rosie’, three-year-old Laurie Lee finds himself dumped in an overgrown garden bursting with whats, whys and wherefores. It’s a place he can neither understand, nor leave alone. A world which is both terrifying and compelling, and one which is his to master:
‘…The
June grass, amongst which I stood, was taller than I was, and I wept. I
had never been so close to grass before. It towered above me ... thick
as a forest and alive with grasshoppers that chirped and chattered and
leapt through the air like monkeys… From
stone to stone in the trackless yard I sent forth my acorn shell of
senses, moving through unfathomable oceans like a South Sea savage
island – hopping across the Pacific.’
‘Cider with Rosie’ Laurie Lee
Laurie Lee’s words resonated with me, and Archie in ‘Why?’ also possesses this urge to understand and become master of his world. He too, like some savage South Sea island, moves across his landscape (from kitchen – to garden – to museum – to parents’ bedroom!) with purpose, enthusiasm, and endless, endless questions!
But of course, these questions are to be encouraged. His parents know that, and we parents know it too. We want our children to have lively minds, sparkly eyes and muddy fingers – even if their never-ending stream of, “WHYS?” keep coming … and coming … and coming!
So although Archie is up and asking questions even before the sun rises, would his parents have him any other way? Of course not!
Hooray then, for the finders-out of this world! For little Archies up and down this land. For their parents, too – this book is for YOU.
And why not?!
Tracey was born in South Wales and now lives in
Gloucestershire with her husband, two daughters and a menagerie of animals. She
is a trained teacher and used to run specialist literacy programmes in schools
before becoming a full-time writer. Tracey has
always had a passion for wonderful literature and began writing for children in
2006. 
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