How Do I Wonder? by Gianna Davy & Brenda Rodriguez

This was a delightfully whimsical picture book about encouraging children to wonder about the world around them. Whether discussing science, art or feelings, it exhorts kids to stay curious and questioning about both realities and possibilities.

Brenda Rodriguez’ illustrations are terrific: colorful, diverse and really bringing Gianna Davy’s questions to life. I also really admired Ms Davy’s ability to use such nimble verse: some of the vocabulary is tricky to fit into meter but she does it with aplomb!

And now I’m going to be a downer by saying that this book also made me uncomfortable because it doesn’t actually answer the question it posits on the cover. “What Should I Wonder About?” is definitely less catchy a title than How, but that’s essentially what this book offers: a myriad of ideas for kids to use to get off their screens and start thinking about the world around them. It says that you don’t need much beyond a comfy place and quiet time to be curious, which is true. But, and crucially, it also doesn’t affirm the need for research, or for being able to tell truth from fiction.

In the current climate of chaos this feels almost like an unforgivable omission — and yes, I know I’m being really hard on a kids’ book. But I also believe that writing for children isn’t just about encouraging them to read. Like this book’s creators, I want to encourage them to think, but I want them to think responsibly. Even LM Montgomery, creator of some of the most beloved and imaginative heroines in the English language, wrote that too much imagination can be harmful, in more than one of her series. Obviously, we’re not talking about using imagination to write fiction or engage in ethical scientific experiments, but about blurring the line between reality and imagination. When you have fabulists who don’t understand science in positions of being capable of killing millions of people through a surplus of self-confidence coupled with a surfeit of ignorance, it’s not enough to say “ask questions”, which all too often leads to the fatuous “I’m just asking questions” stance. It’s important to also say “do the research, learn as you go, and have empathy.”

I think I would have been less alarmed if it hadn’t been for the seemingly innocuous inclusion of the question “Why is water wet?” Arguably, it’s not. There are scientific and linguistic arguments for and against, and it’s a fascinating topic. The fact that the author just makes the assumption that it is made me feel uneasy about this book’s commitment to actual reasoning and critical thinking.

Maybe I’m just worn out by all the recent elevation of stupidity masquerading as big brains to positions of leadership. But if you’re getting this admittedly beautiful book for kids you care about, make sure to emphasize that imagination and exploration are all well and good, but that reality and empathy are important too.

How Do I Wonder? by Gianna Davy & Brenda Rodriguez was published February 18 2025 by Collective Book Studio and is available from all good booksellers, including