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Kirkus Reviews - February 15, 2011 Pfister's latest book is a sweetly simple look at some very deep questions, allo- wing children the opportunity to delve into some of life's mysteries. The questions, each presented as a rhyming couplet, could have been just as easily formulated by a child as by the author – they feel like the charming queries children seem to make when adults least expect them. Although readers will find no answers here, most have scientific explanations, but others certainly hint toward the divine. And while the text is well written (translated from German), it is the beautiful artwork that will draw readers back for more. Luminous colors and amazing textures stand out against the stark, white backgrounds. While new to Pfister, the technique suits the tone of the text to a T. Each element was cut from thick cardboard, then painted with acrylics and stamped onto paper to complete the individual scenes. The result echoes the mix of simplicity and complexity in-herent in each question. In a world that so often emphasizes answers and solid facts, it is refreshing to see a text that encourages question-ing, whether realistic or imaginative flights of fancy. (Picture book. 3-7)

Publisher’s Weekly - January 2011 In an age when infinite answers are available in an instant, maybe the questions we ask are what matter most. “There’s so much that I want to know,” writes Pfister, and in 13 short couplets he shows readers how questioning is a genuinely creative act – a way of being fully engaged in the world. His verses are by turns fanciful (“Do apple seeds dream happily/ of growing up to be a tree?”), scientifically minded (“What turns the leaves from green to brown/ and sends them floating gently down?”), and even fath based (“Who teaches butterflies to fly/ splashing their colors through the sky?”). In a depar-ture from his Rainbow Fish series, Pfister has created images as pity as they are poignant, boldly graphic and dramatically cropped against white backgrounds. A blue-headed songbird is reminiscent of Asian watercolour; a storm cloud looks like it’s been fashio-ned from salt dough; falling leaves seem cut from pieces of thickly tufted carpet. Altough each was created using the same painted paper method (Ex-plained in the final page), the results are as varied as the questions. Ages 3-up. (Mar.)

Midwest Book Review (Karyn's Bookshelf) - March 2011 Bold Crayola hues beckon from the cover of Swiss author and illustrator Marcus Pfister's newest work. Inside a color explosion continues, from amber autumn leaves to angry charcoal blue storm clouds to orange and purple butterflies. But it's not just the color that awes. Pfister's experimentation with texture - applying acrylic paint to cardboard and then thickly stamping it onto paper -- results in page after page of enticing composition. And the poem- based text ponders nature's mysteries in a wonderfully childfriendly cadence. "Does a whale make up a song so other whales will sing along?" it ponders. And "do apple seeds dream happily of growing up to be a tree?" Migrating geese, sea shells and fire are among the topics. Originally published in Switzerland and recently translated into English, "Questions, Questions" is a rare, near perfect symphony of art and words, a new treasure that once again cements Pfister as a formi- dable writer and artist of our time.

Rainbow Fish 25th Anniversary Every anniversary prompts the question (a question that can be quite uncomfortable). Am I really that old? Where did the last 25 years go? Which black hole swallowed them up? Some years ago, during a book signing, I met a young lady who looked at me in amazement. She assumed the author of the Rainbow Fish would be an elderly gentleman with salt and pepper hair. I beg your pardon! Well, it took a few years but here we are. And every anniversary unleashes memories – of minor details and curious turns of event, of places and mostly of people. Brigitte and Davy Sidjanski for example, the Mother and Son founder and driving force behind NordSud Verlag. Without them the book would never have happened. Without any of the fifteen wonderful years working with those two people, who passed away much too young. My own children who, when they were smaller, inspired me daily with new stories. With an increasing sense of amazement I’ve watched them race through their teenage years and develop into young adults (I look forward to watching them continue to grow). Oh yes, and then there’s the small matter of a little fish. It too has grown and developed. Has travelled further around the world than me. Has found it’s own stories in Israel and Palestine, in Europe and America, Australia and Asia. In film, in song, on the stage and in countless school productions. I congratulate you dear Rainbow Fish! I may have introduced you into the World but the rest you’ve done with a little help from your readers. Because it’s not enough to write a moving story – it takes readers who are open to being moved to make it a success.

Reviews of “Questions, questions”, 2011

Goodbye Michelle and Barack! A memory to savour of he outgoing US President. Michelle and Barack Obama reading the Rainbow Fish at the White House Eas- ter Egg Roll in 2016. Thanks for everything!