Why? [Hardcover]

Nikolai Popov (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

A frog sits peacefully on a rock in a meadow, smelling a flower. Suddenly, an umbrella-wielding mouse digs his way out of the ground and for no apparent reason attacks, stealing the frog's flower. The frog gives chase, seizing the mouse's umbrella. All too soon, the hostilities escalate into a full-fledged war. This cautionary tale, though wordless, speaks volumes about the absurdity of aggression and the inevitable consequences of violence. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A strong anti-war message and lithe, incandescent artwork propel this affecting wordless picture book. As the curtain rises, a lone frog sits sniffing a posy in a verdant spot. His serenity is shattered with the arrival of an umbrella-wielding mouse who sets upon him and steals his flower. The frog's parents retaliate, ousting the mouse, and the conflict quickly escalates. The Russian artist's delicate, slightly misty watercolors, with their droll animal characters and tranquil palette, provide a vivid foil to the cautionary theme; the gun blasts and explosions are consequently all the more jarring. In the end, the opposing forces leave the pastoral setting blown to smithereens, the green meadow scorched and the sunshine obscured by the smoke of battle. Why, indeed? Even the youngest reader will quickly grasp the point of Popov's forceful allegory. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4?A frog dressed in long johns sits on a rock, peacefully smelling flowers. Out of the ground pops a mouse (in overalls) with an umbrella. A new friend? Hardly. The mouse attacks, the frog falls off the rock and seizes his flower. Frog, however, has large friends, who drive the mouse away. Back comes the rodent, with his friends, in a wheeled contraption with a gun. Retreating, the frogs come up with wheeled contraptions of their own. By the end, the once-idyllic scene has become a war zone, dotted with blackened wreckage, in which frog, with a shattered umbrella, and mouse, holding a crumpled flower, sit with sad, puzzled expressions. Unlike most of its thematic kin, from Dr. Seuss's Butter Battle Book (Random, 1984) to Umberto Eco's The Bomb and the General (Harcourt, 1989), the accomplished illustrations in this wordless antiwar parable are deceptively pretty, with delicate lines, misty backgrounds, and soft blues and greens that gently blend into each other. Despite escalating battles, there's no visible death or physical injury; Popov's intent seems to be to surprise readers a bit, then to provoke their thoughts and discussion.?John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: North-South / Night Sky Books (April 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558585346
• ISBN-13: 978-1558585348
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,630,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pictures worth a thousand words, May 1, 2000

By 

"mvbrancaccio" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why? (Paperback)

Popov's allegorial tale is a witty and provocative tale that will appeal to "readers" of all ages. His drawings have a dark comedic edge that does not undermine the seriousness of his message. "Why?" is a wonderful book for stimulating discussion on conflict, its causes and its end results. Bravo, Popov, for a job well done.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, November 17, 2006

By 

Daniel Waisberg (Israel) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why? (Paperback)

I think that this book is really the most profound explanation of how a war starts and how it ends. I have used this wordless amazing book in order to discuss with children about war. I have taught a course called 'The little philosopher' in a gifted children institute; I sat with the kids and each child had to tell the story of one page. The class was so great! This picture book is a wonderful educational material.

I believe that Popov succeeded in teaching (with beautiful pictures) that one should always stop and re-think the reasons of a deep conflict. As an Israeli, I can see how difficult this can be! In addition, it reminded me of my childhood; I have three older brothers (the difference in age between four of us is 6 years) and our home was literally a battle field.

Do the world a favor, buy many copies of Why? and distribute them to whoever you know!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fabulous Book for Older Children, November 29, 2001

By 

Bree E. Hinds (Nevada, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why? (Paperback)

I am currently a 5th grade teacher, but I have shared this book with 4th graders also. It is a great book to bring out when "trouble" begins to brew in your classroom. The students are facinated with a "wordless" book, and they also enjoy reading a picture book (something they often do not read as they get older).
This book illustrates what happens when 2 individuals start an argument and then gain assistance from others who are not originally involved, resulting in a large catastrophe . These situations happen many times on the playground, and all I have to do is show them this book and discuss that fighting does not improve anything.
I recommend this to all upper grade teachers. I enjoy it, and it teaches a valuable lesson in life.