What do you think?
Rate this book
What If...
Creativity, the power of imagination, and the importance of self-expression are celebrated in this inspiring picture book written and illustrated by real-life best friends. This girl is determined to express herself! If she can't draw her dreams, she'll sculpt or build, carve or collage. If she can't do that, she'll turn her world into a canvas. And if everything around her is taken away, she'll sing, dance, and dream... Stunning mixed media illustrations, lyrical text, and a breathtaking gatefold conjure powerful magic in this heartfelt affirmation of art, imagination, and the resilience of the human spirit.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2018
16 people are currently reading
878 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 396 reviews
April 14, 2020
What if all your art supplies were taken away. Even with that, we can still be creative in this world. Our creativity has no limits, only the limits we put on it.
The artwork is beautiful and it inspires the imagination.
Nephew thought this was okay. He enjoyed seeing rocket ships made from floor boards or a radiant sun by pulling paint off a wall. He appreciates that kind of destruction, I mean art. He gave this 3 stars.
The artwork is beautiful and it inspires the imagination.
Nephew thought this was okay. He enjoyed seeing rocket ships made from floor boards or a radiant sun by pulling paint off a wall. He appreciates that kind of destruction, I mean art. He gave this 3 stars.
January 14, 2018
Eight stars out of five. I love this book so much, I’ve read it three times. It’s message stays with me like few picture books ever have. Stunningly beautiful with a message that speaks to the importance of creativity. Definitely a great Dot Day companion book,
I plan on buying many copies to share. This is an important book that needs to be seen.
I plan on buying many copies to share. This is an important book that needs to be seen.
Read
July 7, 2024What if we knew the exact date and circumstances of our death ?
Would it bring meaning to our lives or rob us of the spontaneity and uncertainty that make our experiences valuable ?
What if our perception of time as a linear progression is merely an illusion ? Could past, present and future coexist simultaneously, existing in a timeless realm beyond our comprehension ?
What if words, concepts, and language are mere approximations of reality , limiting our ability to grasp the full depth of existence ?
What if morality is not an objective truth, but a social construct that varies across cultures ?
What if uncertainty and chaos are not obstacles to overcome, but catalysts for growth and transformation ?
What if our understanding of reality is limited by our five senses ?
What if we're not physical beings having spiritual experiences, but spiritual beings temporarily inhabiting physical bodies ?
What if technology advances to the point where we can upload our consciousness into virtual realities ?
What if ?
Would it bring meaning to our lives or rob us of the spontaneity and uncertainty that make our experiences valuable ?
What if our perception of time as a linear progression is merely an illusion ? Could past, present and future coexist simultaneously, existing in a timeless realm beyond our comprehension ?
What if words, concepts, and language are mere approximations of reality , limiting our ability to grasp the full depth of existence ?
What if morality is not an objective truth, but a social construct that varies across cultures ?
What if uncertainty and chaos are not obstacles to overcome, but catalysts for growth and transformation ?
What if our understanding of reality is limited by our five senses ?
What if we're not physical beings having spiritual experiences, but spiritual beings temporarily inhabiting physical bodies ?
What if technology advances to the point where we can upload our consciousness into virtual realities ?
What if ?
June 24, 2018
Absolutely spectacular in every possible way!
July 31, 2018
This book is really an ode to creativity. What if, as an artist, you didn't have your traditional supplies? What If... explores that question through simple rhyming verse and unique mixed-media illustrations.
It's a fun book to look at, and while I wholeheartedly appreciate the overall message, I'm a bit wary of some of the early ideas. No paper? No problem. Just chisel the table and carve the chair. No furniture? Chip the paint off the walls (you'd better hope your house doesn't still have lead paint)! I'm not sure these are the best things to be suggesting to bored kids who might not have access to art supplies.
Overall, though, I liked the message of using what you have (even if it's just your voice) to create art. The mixed-media illustrations are pretty neat, and could offer inspiration to budding young artists.
It's a fun book to look at, and while I wholeheartedly appreciate the overall message, I'm a bit wary of some of the early ideas. No paper? No problem. Just chisel the table and carve the chair. No furniture? Chip the paint off the walls (you'd better hope your house doesn't still have lead paint)! I'm not sure these are the best things to be suggesting to bored kids who might not have access to art supplies.
Overall, though, I liked the message of using what you have (even if it's just your voice) to create art. The mixed-media illustrations are pretty neat, and could offer inspiration to budding young artists.
January 15, 2019
What if you wanted to tell a story, but your pencil disappeared? What if you were creating art, but all of your art supplies were suddenly gone? What if all the things you thought to use to make beauty began to go away, one by one, leaving you with nothing...except your mind, and that impulse to create? Author Samantha Berger and illustrator Mike Curato address that experience in this beautiful new picture-book tribute to the power of human artistry and ingenuity, concluding that: "If I had nothing, but still had my mind... / There'd always be stories to seek and to find."
Pairing an engaging and thoughtful narrative told in rhyme with gorgeous mixed-media illustrations, What If... is a marvelous new picture-book to add to that body of titles - Peter Reynolds' "Creatrilogy" books, Corinna Luyken's The Book of Mistakes , Faye Hanson's The Wonder - that are meant to encourage young people to cultivate their own creativity, whether artistic or literary. Inspired, according to the afterword, by a flood which left author Samantha Berger temporarily homeless, with no art supplies in the midst of an intensive art project, it is also meant to highlight the diversity of materials around us, that can be used in creative projects. Mike Curato's accompanying illustrations reflect this as well, incorporating any number of objects - autumn leaves used to create a dragon, sugar cubes used to make an igloo - into his colorful, immensely engaging work. This is one I would highly recommend, to all young would-be authors and artists, and to anyone looking for beautiful new picture-books about the creative process, and the resilience of the human spirit in the faces of challenges.
Pairing an engaging and thoughtful narrative told in rhyme with gorgeous mixed-media illustrations, What If... is a marvelous new picture-book to add to that body of titles - Peter Reynolds' "Creatrilogy" books, Corinna Luyken's The Book of Mistakes , Faye Hanson's The Wonder - that are meant to encourage young people to cultivate their own creativity, whether artistic or literary. Inspired, according to the afterword, by a flood which left author Samantha Berger temporarily homeless, with no art supplies in the midst of an intensive art project, it is also meant to highlight the diversity of materials around us, that can be used in creative projects. Mike Curato's accompanying illustrations reflect this as well, incorporating any number of objects - autumn leaves used to create a dragon, sugar cubes used to make an igloo - into his colorful, immensely engaging work. This is one I would highly recommend, to all young would-be authors and artists, and to anyone looking for beautiful new picture-books about the creative process, and the resilience of the human spirit in the faces of challenges.
March 29, 2018
A beautiful book about creativity, imagination, and believing in yourself.
October 14, 2018
A girl resolves to create even if she has few resources. The experience of reading this bright, colorful book is made richer when you learn the wrote it when her home was flooded and her usually writing materials were ruined and that the artist used found materials to illustrate the story.
April 6, 2018
This rhyming, thrillingly illustrated book about the power of creativity and imagination will sweep you of your feet! A treat to read
July 12, 2020
Featured in today's Grandma Reads session.
There is, always and forever, within each of us a scrap of creativity upon which we can draw what we need to create in whatever form most calls us to it. . .this message is presented on each of this well done picture book's pages.
Well-received by my "creators".
3 stars.
There is, always and forever, within each of us a scrap of creativity upon which we can draw what we need to create in whatever form most calls us to it. . .this message is presented on each of this well done picture book's pages.
Well-received by my "creators".
3 stars.
January 31, 2018
An exuberantly imaginative child ponders the many ways she would persist in creating art even in the face of limited resources. Intricate mixed-media collages enhance the rhyming verse with their variety, movement, and texture.
I appreciated that a range of arts and creative outlet were shown, from origami to dance. The very affectionate author and illustrator’s notes elevate the story's ode to creativity. A few rhymes felt a bit forced (“If I know nothing but one bit of fate….[page turn]...create.” What does "If I know nothing but one bit of fate" MEAN, and would a child that age really think or say that?) but overall the story will leave young readers feeling bold and inventive like the creative little girl in the book.
I appreciated that a range of arts and creative outlet were shown, from origami to dance. The very affectionate author and illustrator’s notes elevate the story's ode to creativity. A few rhymes felt a bit forced (“If I know nothing but one bit of fate….[page turn]...create.” What does "If I know nothing but one bit of fate" MEAN, and would a child that age really think or say that?) but overall the story will leave young readers feeling bold and inventive like the creative little girl in the book.
April 6, 2018
Great for inspiring creativity. And promoting that there are many forms of creative endeavors.
August 2, 2018
Cute, well-illustrated, rhymes not bad. I liked the author's note about how it came to be. Felt a little...I felt like I'd read many like it before.
May 19, 2023
The artwork is beautiful and it inspires the imagination.
April 3, 2018
What if you had only 5 minutes to evacuate your home? Would you know what to take? What would you leave behind? Author Samantha Berger faced this scenario when her house flooded and she only had time to grab her sketchbook. Nevertheless, out of this trauma bloomed a beautiful story of creative expression and resilience.
Award-winning team, as well as friends in real life, Samantha Berger and Mike Curato bring us the beautiful story of magical art and the power of creativity.
Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own.
There will always be people in life who want to dim your light from shining to make themselves feel better. However, your imagination and your spirit belongs to you, and only you. When everything goes wrong and all of our expectations are smashed, what happens next? The heart warming story of What If… shows us a little girl who is determined not to allow her circumstances to stop her from achieving her goals.
When this little artist dreams of creating, she takes us through a reflective journey. She imagines losing every object she would normally use to create her magic. As her pencils, paper, and space to create her art disappear one by one, she fearlessly continues her mission.
Instead of traditional mediums, she can use floorboards and dirt, leaves and snow, light and shadows, and even her own voice to create the story she wants to tell through her art.
And as long as she lives, she will always create.
What If... is a new picture book that tells the heart warming story of creativity and resilience. The curly haired girl protagonist reminds us that no one has the power to take away our imaginations. This diverse picture book is sure to encourage and inspire young children to find a way forward no matter what.
The always brilliant Mike Curato uses sugar cubes, flower petals, sand, paper bags, marbles, sequins, and more to compose these gorgeous and vibrant illustrations. The rhyming verse will have you truly visualizing what it is like in the protagonist’s world full of dreams. The culmination of a fold out spread where you literally and figuratively dive inside her mind’s eye is genius.
What If... is a new picture book that tells the heart warming story of creativity and resilience. The curly haired girl protagonist reminds us that no one has the power to take away our imaginations. This diverse picture book is sure to encourage and inspire young children to find a way forward no matter what.
The Power of Losing Everything
Like author Samantha, I too went through a time where I lost everything. When the Egypt Revolution began just 3 weeks after I had my daughter was born in Cairo, I was trying to get her to sleep to the sound of gunshots. As I was reading aloud, there were military tanks roaring down my street.
All over Cairo, grocery stores were running out of food and water, the ATMs were empty, and the internet and phone lines were shut down. The country was crumbling before my very eyes, and I had no choice but to evacuate.
So 3 1/2 weeks after my C-section, I flew by myself over 7,000 miles home to California with a 3-week-old, her emergency passport, and the clothes on our backs.
I share this here so you can understand why I cried through the entire story of What If… because I have been there.
And so many kids have too.
Every child and the adults who are reading to them needs the chance to feel empathy or even solidarity through the struggle of overcoming real and sometimes scary obstacles. We owe them this book.
The Power of Imagination
As a teacher, I am responsible to guide students to learn a myriad of skills. One skill that I cannot teach without is imagination. The more imagination children have, the more they believe in what is possible. And the more they believe in what is possible, the more each one of my students will change the world.
What If... is a new picture book that tells the heart warming story of creativity and resilience. The curly haired girl protagonist reminds us that no one has the power to take away our imaginations. This diverse picture book is sure to encourage and inspire young children to find a way forward no matter what.
The most powerful thing I can do is not have my kids memorize information, but give them the power to dream big. I have been teaching all over the world in international schools the last decade in efforts to teach globally minded kids. Some of my schools have had huge dedicated art rooms. Others schools have had one art closet for the whole school to share for the entire year.
I think you can guess which students had more powerful creations. Like in this beautiful story of a creative, brown-skinned girl with glorious purple curls, sometimes you don’t have a choice. Sometimes this means you are better off than those with access to everything.
Recommended age: 4-8
Award-winning team, as well as friends in real life, Samantha Berger and Mike Curato bring us the beautiful story of magical art and the power of creativity.
Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own.
There will always be people in life who want to dim your light from shining to make themselves feel better. However, your imagination and your spirit belongs to you, and only you. When everything goes wrong and all of our expectations are smashed, what happens next? The heart warming story of What If… shows us a little girl who is determined not to allow her circumstances to stop her from achieving her goals.
When this little artist dreams of creating, she takes us through a reflective journey. She imagines losing every object she would normally use to create her magic. As her pencils, paper, and space to create her art disappear one by one, she fearlessly continues her mission.
Instead of traditional mediums, she can use floorboards and dirt, leaves and snow, light and shadows, and even her own voice to create the story she wants to tell through her art.
And as long as she lives, she will always create.
What If... is a new picture book that tells the heart warming story of creativity and resilience. The curly haired girl protagonist reminds us that no one has the power to take away our imaginations. This diverse picture book is sure to encourage and inspire young children to find a way forward no matter what.
The always brilliant Mike Curato uses sugar cubes, flower petals, sand, paper bags, marbles, sequins, and more to compose these gorgeous and vibrant illustrations. The rhyming verse will have you truly visualizing what it is like in the protagonist’s world full of dreams. The culmination of a fold out spread where you literally and figuratively dive inside her mind’s eye is genius.
What If... is a new picture book that tells the heart warming story of creativity and resilience. The curly haired girl protagonist reminds us that no one has the power to take away our imaginations. This diverse picture book is sure to encourage and inspire young children to find a way forward no matter what.
The Power of Losing Everything
Like author Samantha, I too went through a time where I lost everything. When the Egypt Revolution began just 3 weeks after I had my daughter was born in Cairo, I was trying to get her to sleep to the sound of gunshots. As I was reading aloud, there were military tanks roaring down my street.
All over Cairo, grocery stores were running out of food and water, the ATMs were empty, and the internet and phone lines were shut down. The country was crumbling before my very eyes, and I had no choice but to evacuate.
So 3 1/2 weeks after my C-section, I flew by myself over 7,000 miles home to California with a 3-week-old, her emergency passport, and the clothes on our backs.
I share this here so you can understand why I cried through the entire story of What If… because I have been there.
And so many kids have too.
Every child and the adults who are reading to them needs the chance to feel empathy or even solidarity through the struggle of overcoming real and sometimes scary obstacles. We owe them this book.
The Power of Imagination
As a teacher, I am responsible to guide students to learn a myriad of skills. One skill that I cannot teach without is imagination. The more imagination children have, the more they believe in what is possible. And the more they believe in what is possible, the more each one of my students will change the world.
What If... is a new picture book that tells the heart warming story of creativity and resilience. The curly haired girl protagonist reminds us that no one has the power to take away our imaginations. This diverse picture book is sure to encourage and inspire young children to find a way forward no matter what.
The most powerful thing I can do is not have my kids memorize information, but give them the power to dream big. I have been teaching all over the world in international schools the last decade in efforts to teach globally minded kids. Some of my schools have had huge dedicated art rooms. Others schools have had one art closet for the whole school to share for the entire year.
I think you can guess which students had more powerful creations. Like in this beautiful story of a creative, brown-skinned girl with glorious purple curls, sometimes you don’t have a choice. Sometimes this means you are better off than those with access to everything.
Recommended age: 4-8
April 14, 2018
This children’s book was so heartwarming and inspiring! And I feel that I gleaned something from reading this book, even as an adult. I cannot begin to express how great of an impression this book will, therefore, leave on a child (or even a teenager). The focus of this book is on creativity, and the importance of imagination. As we make our way from the beginning to the end, the main character explains to us that she does not need pencils, or notepads, or even light to create. One’s imagination is enough, and I think that this is a very important message for all children.
I absolutely love the dust cover, as well as the cardboard cover beneath, and really appreciate that this book has been printed in hardcover format. The colours are bright and engaging, and I also appreciated the artist’s particular style. The images and colours within the book made me smile, and I enjoyed the apparent mix of media (because some parts of a particular illustration appeared to be done with marker, while other parts looked like cutouts from real photography. And I believe that this style goes very well with the subject of creation and imagination!
I absolutely love the dust cover, as well as the cardboard cover beneath, and really appreciate that this book has been printed in hardcover format. The colours are bright and engaging, and I also appreciated the artist’s particular style. The images and colours within the book made me smile, and I enjoyed the apparent mix of media (because some parts of a particular illustration appeared to be done with marker, while other parts looked like cutouts from real photography. And I believe that this style goes very well with the subject of creation and imagination!
May 1, 2018
In her author's note, Samantha Berger shares than she experienced a flood in which the only piece she managed to save from her home was her sketchbook. All her art, gone! All the pieces saved to do her art, gone! Thus, this book, which begins, what would I do if my pencil disappeared, and on, piece by piece disappearing. The end result is that no matter what, this young girl will create with whatever the world presents. It's a cry for using the world to make something, will pair beautifully with Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's poetry book recently out: With My Hands: Poems About Making Things which I reviewed here. Mike Curato also shares in his note about using Samantha's ideas for art along with other found pieces. He makes Samantha's words to find ways to create even more inspiring.
December 18, 2018
What a wonderful book, a perfect melding of story and illustration. This would have so many uses in the classroom, and I liked it even more after I read the note from the author and artist in the back. I think this does a great job of conveying a meaningful message that I hope will stay with readers.
I had not heard of this book until it appeared in Colby Sharp's five favorite picture books of 2018. I'm so glad I watched his video.
I had not heard of this book until it appeared in Colby Sharp's five favorite picture books of 2018. I'm so glad I watched his video.
January 5, 2019
Samantha Berger (author) and Mike Curato (illustrator) are real life best friends. Together they collaborate on a book about sharing our creativity with the world. No matter what we may have taken away -or never have- we can find a way to express ourselves with art, music, dance, writing...A powerful message of resilience and determination in a gorgeous picture book.
April 1, 2018
Gorgeous illustrations! Beautiful words! Inspiration for readers of ALL ages! What more could you want! (Look for Little Elliot!)
May 3, 2018
Power of self expression beautifully delivered in story and art.
June 25, 2018
This book is very cute and adventurous! Would recommend for any imagineer!
September 26, 2018
The illustrations in this book are like I’ve never seen! Some are almost like the author look real live photos and drew the cartoons on top of them. Such a creative book about creativity!
October 10, 2018
This is cute! I love the message and I love the way they did the illustrations! Especially that flower scene 😍
October 25, 2018
Beautifully illustrated story on the power of our imagination.
May 24, 2019
A beautiful amazing book for children about the power of imagination in the face of forces that try to limit your freedom.
January 16, 2019
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Our book today is What If…, written by Samantha Berger and illustrated by Mike Curato, an ode to the power of the creative mind.
With a pencil and paper, the unnamed protagonist can write stories and draw art to tell the tales that sing from within her. But what if the pencil was gone? Not a problem – she could fold the paper into origami sculptures to create her stories. And if the paper was gone? Not to worry, there is no end to the mediums she could use to create and express herself: wallpaper, wood, snow, song, dance, dirt, light and dark, on and on. There’s a whole universe of stories within her, and she will find a way to bring them to life by any means available: “As long as I live, I will always create.”
Delightful! A passionate look at the drive to express oneself through art, the charm is in the girl’s unflagging ability to find artistic outlet, and Curato’s fabulous mixed-media depictions of this. With each medium, her work grows more elaborate and fantastic: a life-sized paper airplane carved from a wooden table, a fire-breathing dragon of autumn-colored leaves, an igloo and snowman constructed of sugar cubes and marshmallows. Then even stripped down to basics – creating shadow puppets or singing into the darkness in the absence of light – she aims to artistic expression still. It’s a nice way of exploring creativity as a need, and the indefatigable drive artists have to make real the inspiration within them. For artistic young readers, this will feel like a book that speaks directly to them, and validates this drive. Otherwise, the length was fine, and JJ loved the colors and textures of the brilliant artwork. A lovely bit of encouragement for young creatives, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!
Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
March 5, 2020
My students went bananas over this book! Beautiful and inspiring!
January 31, 2019
What if? I really liked this book because it deals with the idea of, what if and creativity. The young girl in this story begins with some paper and a pencil and is drawing out her story. She then questions, what if she didn’t have a pencil, how could she tell her story? This premise of what if, continues throughout the book as she deals with her paper disappearing, the floor beneath falling away, her walls disappearing, and the ground that she walks upon vanishing, just to name a few. Layer-upon-layer the items that she uses begin to fall away until she is relying upon the one thing that no one can take away from her.
It’s a cute, simple book that is rich in color with bold text throughout its pages. It shows children exactly where ideas and stories originate from and I feel it can help them become better story tellers/writers.
It’s a cute, simple book that is rich in color with bold text throughout its pages. It shows children exactly where ideas and stories originate from and I feel it can help them become better story tellers/writers.
February 7, 2019
What if... explores all of the ways one little girl can create things from her imagination if she decides to. The little girl in the story talks about how she has her pencil and paper and that is how she is creating but then she asks "what if I didn't have a pencil and paper?" and she goes into what she could create with all of the things around her, including the paint on the wall, the wood of the table and the panels on the floor. It shows that creativity is not bound by the materials you have or the ideas you have. It celebrates imagination, creation, and art and I adore it. For one thing, the illustrations are adorable and so cute. Second thing, I think that it is a perfect example of letting your creativity run wild in the world around you, no matter where you are. I think it could be used in an art classroom when discussing different methods and that it would be really effective.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 396 reviews