We are loving this Ask Me book by Antje Damm! It’s small but thick—200 plus pages—with one provocative question and one interesting image on each double page spread.
Maia’s been requesting it every day lately and we’ve gone off on some interesting tangents based on the questions and her answers.
Here are a few of the illustrations and questions from inside the book ::
What do you wish you could do really well?
What special thing can you do with your hands?
If you were king or queen, what would you change?
What do you like to paint?
I thought Maia would use the picture as a prompt in answering the questions, but she only did that once.
Our copy of Ask Me is from the library and it looks like it’s no longer in print, but used copies are available on Amazon.
I recommend it!—especially for the preschool crowd.
Update :: There is a new version of this Ask Me book available now! So exciting—I just ordered it for my kids.
Any other ideas for thought-provoking, conversation-inducing children’s books? We’ve had so much fun with this one that I’d like to explore others.
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14 Comments
sheri
June 22, 2010 at 8:32 amThe Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg is “inspiration” in one word! It’s a book that could be used to jump start your child’s imagination. Either through other pictures, story telling, or writing the child can take the captivating caption, title and picture from each spread of the book and create!
The above quote was taken from one of my blog entries. This book would be probably for older kids and I can see a child take the caption and make a book of their own from it. The story behind how the book came to be is amazing. It’s in the intro at the front. Borrow it from the library and see for yourself. My kids are too young as well, but I have it saved in the back of my memory for when they are ready for such a book.
Thanks for sharing your find! It looks like a delightful book! :)
Maureen
June 22, 2010 at 11:40 amOne fun book is Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Anne Miranda and Ed Emberley. It asks open-ended questions about each emotion.
sherri/the claw
June 22, 2010 at 1:50 pmlove this idea, will have to check this book out. I don’t have one to suggest that leaves open-ended questions, but I recently discovered Charlotte Zolotow – she reminds me a lot of Margaret Wise Brown, in the rhythym of her words,really great.
https://www.charlottezolotow.com/
How I never knew about her, I’m not sure, but spreading the word – love her stuff!
also – the zoom trilogy is awesome.
https://leclaw.blogspot.com/2010/03/zoom-trilogy.html
not really what you asked, but love to pass along great kid’s books to others.
mother★lode
June 22, 2010 at 10:09 amI hope our library has this book so we can check it out!
We found “Raising Curious Kids” by Nancy Sokol Green at a yard sale recently.
https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Curious-Nancy-Sokol-Green/dp/B001Q1PF0C/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277215754&sr=8-4
It has hundreds of open ended activities and thought provoking questions to encourage experimentation, creating, decision making, and imagination. I love how it’s organized to hit on all of these areas. For example, on cooking in the kitchen, here’s one item from the five or so listed in each category:
Let’s Ponder: What else besides cooking can you do in a kitchen. Let’s Compare: How are cooking on a BBQ and cooking on a stove alike? How are they different? Let’s Decide: What is the most difficult food to cook? Why? Let’s Imagine: On the planet Zala Mala, they do not use pans for cooking. What do they use them for?
Dawn
June 22, 2010 at 8:44 pmIt looks like it’s been reprinted: https://www.amazon.ca/Ask-Me-Antje-Damm/dp/1847801250/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277253777&sr=8-10
Mamina
June 22, 2010 at 11:08 pmhttps://www.amazon.com/If-Getty-Trust-Publications-Museum/dp/0892363215/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277262399&sr=1-1
This one is our favorite….If by Sarah Perry
BTW I recently discovered your blog and do love it….have a great summer!
Lena
Carrie at Rhubarb Sky
June 22, 2010 at 11:29 pmThe Kid’s Book of Questions. . . no pictures, but lots of great questions. (https://www.amazon.com/Kids-Book-Questions-Revised-Century/dp/0761135952/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277263545&sr=8-1)
There’s a whole series of these books that I’ve used a lot with teens/kids in different groups I’ve lead. Lots of fun.
Also, we play this game (https://www.amazon.com/Moonjar-Conversations-to-Go-Original/dp/B000H83CX2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1277263584&sr=8-2)
It’s essentially a box of questions. . . it would be easy to make your own with a jar and printed questions.
And, this all makes me think that it’s time to start playing with story starters again. Prompts to get the kiddo making up stories is another great activity. A quick google search turned up this cool link that generates story starters for you: https://www.amazon.com/Moonjar-Conversations-to-Go-Original/dp/B000H83CX2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1277263584&sr=8-2
Fun! Thanks for this idea. . . you are always spurring me to do something more creative with my kiddo.
Carrie at Rhubarb Sky
June 22, 2010 at 11:33 pmOoops, that last link should be this: https://www.thestorystarter.com/jr.htm
Meagan
June 22, 2010 at 8:12 pmGreat book. Thanks for the tip- will keep my eyes peeled! xo m.
Lindsay R
June 22, 2010 at 10:01 pmtry this one…we recently used it for a doodlebugs group.
https://www.berkshirebooks.net/turn_about.htm
it’s called “the turn about, think about, look about book”. it has different graphic designs that can look like different things depending on how you turn the book. it was a cool launch for the art group.
;-)
Lindsay R
June 23, 2010 at 2:06 amjust got my post up that related to that book, and guess what project we did with it? stained glass, inspired by you!! here it is:
https://makebelieve-lindsay.blogspot.com/2010/06/doodlebugs-flashback-21910-tissue-paper.html
Marlyn
June 23, 2010 at 2:59 amI had an adult “version” of this book that I used to carry when I traveled. It was a great companion/conversation starter (ya know, amongst the hippy surfer backpacker beer drinker crowd!). Would love to bring that spirit to my home/girls!
Jean Van't Hul
June 23, 2010 at 7:16 amThanks for all the recommendations! I’m going to take this list with me to the library…
raizel
July 15, 2010 at 4:00 pmI think it would be fun to make one with your own questions. You could make a ‘book’ by folding some paper in half and write a question on one side and draw a picture on the other. and decorate together :)