Any Questions? by Gay, Marie-Louise

Where does the story start? Marie-Louise Gay explains the creative process with typical fun and whimsy.

Many children want to know where stories come from and how a book is made. Marie-Louise Gay's new picture book provides them with some delightfully inspiring answers in a fictional encounter between an author and some very curious children, who collaborate on writing and illustrating a story.

Marie-Louise has scribbled, sketched, scrawled, doodled, penciled, collaged and painted the words and pictures of a story-within-a-story that show how brilliant ideas creep up on you when you least expect it and how words sometimes float out of nowhere asking to be written.

Any Questions? presents a world inhabited by lost polar bears, soaring pterodactyls, talking trees and spotted snails, with cameo appearances by some of Marie-Louise's favorite characters -- a world where kids can become part of the story and let their imaginations run wild... and just maybe they will be inspired to create stories of their own.

At the end of the book, Marie-Louise provides answers to many of the questions children have asked her over the years, such as "Are you Stella?" "How did you learn to draw?" "Can your cat fly?" "How many books do you make in one day?"

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.6
Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.1
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

Author: Marie-Louise Gay
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Published: 08/11/2014
Pages: 60
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.40lbs
Size: 12.10h x 9.30w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9781554983827
Audience: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3.6
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 168921 / Any Questions?

Award: Governor General's Literary Awards - Finalist

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2014
School Library Journal 10/01/2014 pg. 82
Booklist 10/01/2014 pg. 86
Publishers Weekly 09/29/2014
Kirkus Best Picture Books 11/15/2014 pg. 61
Quill & Quire 12/01/2014 pg. 29
SLJ's Best Books 12/01/2014 pg. 22
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 01/01/2015

About the Author
Marie-Louise Gay is a world-renowned author and illustrator of children's books. She has won many prestigious awards, including two Governor General's Awards, the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award, the Vicky Metcalf Award, and the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award. She has also been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her books have been translated into more than 15 languages and are loved by children all over the world. She lives in Montreal.