Why? (10/26)

Title: Why?
Author: Nikolai Popov
Ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book
Rating: 4

Summary: A wordless picture book about a mouse family and frog family that are at war with one another.
 

I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book. They were easy to follow and I could interpret what was happening in my own way since there were no words. It starts off very humorous, with the frog really confused as to why the mouse pushed him off the rock. The tone starts to get more serious when both families begin to be at war with one another. 

I am a little confused by the ending though. It ends with the frog and the mouse sitting there with everything around them destroyed. They are just looking at each other with apologetic looks on their face. I was confused if this means they regret what they did or that the war was simply pointless because they are right back where they started. I then read the author's note and Nikolai Popov says he wrote this book because he is anti-war and he says, 

"I have created this book because it seems to me that if Children can understand the senseless of war, if they can see how easily one can be sucked into a cycle of violence, they may become a force for peace in the future."

If it wasn't for the author's note I would have a difficult time understanding the end of the story. I am curious to see what children would think of the ending. I think that would be a fun activity to see what students think the ending means. Despite the ambiguous ending I still think this is a very good wordless picture book.