This is a book full of “If…” possibilities such as “if toes were teeth…” It is designed to provoke further possibilities. In the example, if toes were teeth, the question could be how would you eat an apple? There are other ideas that can be used with each prompt. For instance, one could be shown to a class or student and the assignment would be to write a story about what they see. There are plenty of other things going on in each picture such as looking further into a picture to see the dogs as mountains in the background, number of ants making a figure eight, or what emotions would arise or how would an experience change. The number of prompts opens up the possibilities for further exploration and the ideas that flow from them are endless.


I received an ARC from Getty Publications through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

Beautifully illustrated, this book has more than a touch of the surreal and the eccentric but at the same time encourages us to be children again and dream up the unimaginable. The dream world is just that and with pictures imagining caterpillars to be toothpaste and zebras that have stars and stripes, this is a book that could stir up a fun conversation on a long car journey. Now imagine a world where turtles were magnetic....

An imaginative and surreal picture book. If... imagines the world if things were a little different such as 'If turtles were magnetic' and 'If dogs were mountains'.
Beautifully illustrated and thought provoking, yet sometimes unsettling; If... could be an entertaining read for children and adults alike.

This book is gorgeous! The artwork is intricate and beautiful and the concepts are bound to inspire and fire the imagination of children and adults alike. As a primary school teacher, the art work will be fantastic as a stimulus for discussions and even for stories. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

Despite this being an 25th anniversary edition, I'd never heard of this story!
No wonder it's being republished - it's amazing! So imaginative and gorgeous. I'm so sad I didn't know it existed earlier, so many missed opportunities that it would have been great in.
And a fun addition with the "secrets" at the back of the book, to make a reread more enjoyable!
I'll be looking out for a copy to add to our shelves.

Sarah Perry is a genius. There is no work of art that has astounded me in recent times as Perry's work. The book while compels you to imagine, the most noteworthy element of it is how the illustrations are rendered. I doubt this book could have been done so brilliantly in the hands of any other.

The illustrations are absolutely stunning and full of detail. I loved that it focussed on the natural world. Very imaginative and creative, leading to an eventual dream about what would happen if...

Whenever I feel down, I read children's books. If... by Sarah Perry is one of those books that will stay with you and it will make you dream about all the ifs in your life. This would make a perfect present for all children and new mothers. The illustrations are very well done. Highly recommended.

The cover of this book is what instantly made me want to read it. The title “If...” instantly draws the reader in and makes their imagination begin to picture what this book will be about.
I thought this book was a really fun and creative one for children.
The author sets up so many scenarios with her questions. “If the moon were square... if toes were teeth”.
A really great book to get the imagination working! I really felt like I was there in the book seeing and witnessing all these scenarios the author presented me with.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

5 Blazing Stars for "If..." !

Holy moly, what an amazing ride is this book! It's been a long while since I've opened a book and turned to the first page and immediately placed upon my face the largest smile possible. This book does that for every single page!

But moreover, this book is a family game night just waiting to happen with young children and old!

What if frogs ate rainbows? The art shows us one possibility for what that could look like, but what stories that could fetch from a mind's eye! What if leaves were fish, or ugly was beautiful? What stories would they tell? What characters would they meet?

This book takes the concepts of Dali and shrinks it to size, earths that idea into possible new ways of thinking. I saw this was a Getty Museum feature, and thought it would at least be beautiful. I had zero idea of the feast awaiting inside this book. This book could make for fantastic "rainy lunchtime" classroom games, or perfect pizza night childhood entertainment, or just be a great adult fantasy writer's prompt!



Walking a museum should be a given for every child. Unfortunately it is not. This book takes the gifts of what should be gained in museum adventure and brings it to your sofa or bedtime story potential with your children of all ages. Yes, start with perusing the book. But don't stop there. Let this book be a springboard to joining unexpected concepts and new stories to be had. After all, isn't that what gifts the world new technology, new ideas to save what seems unsavable, the conjunction of what seems so disparate, the joining of the impossible?

The interior art is fantastic. I do wish they'd chosen a more "punchy" piece for the cover. The cover art translates wonderfully when inspected on the interior, up close, but loses some steam when rendered in thumbnail, as is the way these days. So know that the cover is a weak symbol of the powerful interior. Dive in.

This book is a magnificent wonder. Buy it, even for your adult sole self.

If...by Sarah Perry
25th Anniversary Publication Date: March 3, 2020
Out Now!

Description from NetGalley...
“Take a fantastical journey where anything can happen: leaves turn into fish, cats fly with wings, humans have tails, and dreams become visible
 
First published in 1995, Sarah Perry’s delightful picture book of “surreal possibilities” was the Getty’s first children’s title and has remained a beloved backlist classic over the course of two decades. Perry’s magical watercolors conjure up a world of limitless possibilities. Children of all ages will enjoy this romp through an inspiring, imaginative world. Reissued to celebrate a remarkable book’s 25th anniversary, this enhanced, expanded, and enlivened edition will appeal to a brand-new generation of readers.”

Thank you to @NetGalley @gettypublications for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.

My thoughts...
This really is a fantastical book. The cover gives you a glimpse at the imagination you will find in this book. Kids love imagining and creating, and this book will encourage them to further broaden their minds and imagine even more. Adults can have so much fun with kids using this book. This book is thought-provoking, with great illustrations and some are even Dali-esque.

Having never seen the original version of If... that was created 25 years ago I can only really rate this book with how I feel about it as an adult now.
I thought the illustrations were great and some were very beautifully detailed. It is a a fairly simple book with If statements on each double page with some outlandish picture for eg. "If caterpillars were toothpaste" or "If dogs were mountains". I can appreciate how this could spark some imagination in children but as an adult I'm unsure what message the book is trying to convey. The 25th anniversary has some new illustrations and an authors note section in the back.
Thanks to netgalley.com and Getty Publications for this review copy.

Sarah Perry’s surrealist work is an attractive enough picture book, which is now being reissued in honour of its 25th anniversary. I’d never before heard of the book, and having now read it, I don’t think I was missing out on much. There is no plot, nothing to hold a collection of outlandish “what if” propositions together. Children might enjoy the work, and teachers might like using Perry’s ideas as a model for students to create their own fanciful speculations and images. Beyond that, however, I don’t see much point in the book. I’m a bit surprised it’s endured for a quarter of a century. I’d say you can safely pass on this one.

I was finally able to download and open this book. I am so happy that this worked because the illustrations are simply beautiful. I enjoy going through this book with my 5 year old grandson.

A deceptively understated book, If... by Sarah Perry inspires readers to imagine a fantastical world of “what if’s” that will have children laughing and adults reminiscing their childhood imagination. With beautiful illustrations and themes, this book is a lesson in slowing down and revisiting the joy and wonderment that made the childhood experience so lovely; I even had to do a double take of the cover halfway through the book!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

As an adult I found some of the images a little creepy but I can completely see how t would appeal to children whose mind are constantly questioning how and why.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A collection of thought provoking and wondrous pieces, full of fascinating details.

This book has wonderful illustrations. It's unusual, strange but it is entertaining. Reading this book make me feel like I am in a completely different world where fishes are leaves, where whales lives in outer space, where the moon is square, etc. It is a highly imaginative book and helps the kids to be creative. It is wild and fun! The reason of why I gave it a 3 stars is because I just don't feel it is for me. But I really think a lot of kids would love this book :) It is the book that parents can talk about with their kids. Perhaps having an interesting and fun conversation? :D.
All in all, a great great book!

This is such a wonderful book for exploring silly or thoughtful questions, stretching imagination, and visualizing these new ideas. Each simple "If" statement is paired with a creative and beautiful illustration, and those were really engrossing. They brought out giggles and thoughtful reactions from my young son.

Thank you to NetGalley and Getty Publications for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an old favorite that always seems to do well with K-6th grades, so I'm very pleased to see that it is being reprinted. There's nothing like a caterpillar perched on a toothbrush, spiders reading Braille, and toes for teeth to provoke an uproarious response!
The new version has 2 additional spreads (I love the turtle!) and end notes that invite further reflection.