I received an ARC of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book has a collection of thought provoking and beautiful artwork. I loved reading and studying each picture and am going to read back through it and talk about each picture with my daughter.
A fantastic book for play on words and developing imagination.

From the cover to end-plates, and everything in between, this book is beautiful. Each new page reveals dynamic drawings that offer more and more details with each viewing. The pictures range from elegantly breathtaking to downright unsettling, creating an immersive experience for the reader. The Reader’s Guide at the end offers some great information to help guide readers in their exploration of the illustrations, sure to be a hit with parents. This reprint of a classic is sure to enchant a new generation of young readers.

With children ages 3, 6 and 9, I read a lot of picture books and don’t like most of them. So, I was surprised at how delighted I was by Sarah Perry’s If... . The illustration style is realistic but once you take a quick second to look closer, you see the bizarre and enchanting combinations of animals, objects and environments reconfigured into surrealistic scenes. My 3-year-old laughed he turned each page to an amusing picture. Every illustration is preceded by an intro phrase. For example: “If turtles were magnetic...” When you turn the page, the illustration completes the sentence. The end of the book invites you to continue creating your own juxtapositions. I love how this book creatively upends how we conventionally see things and invites us to do so more.

Incredible artwork that leads the reader to imagine "what if?" This book would be a pleasure to read to children and let their imaginations take over. I can see teachers using this to guide students into their own "what if" ideas. Our library will be purchasing it to add to our creativity/imagination section.

Twenty-five years after its original publication, If by Sarah Perry still holds up. The perfect book to read to young children to begin a conversation about what could be.

What a beautiful and timeless classic! A wonderful book that encourages young and old to use their imagination.
Beautiful illustrations as well!

This book is great! As a speech pathologist, I can use this book to teach all ages. It has a chance to answer wh-questions. Children can also ask their own questions. The illustrations are beautiful, and useful to talk about adjectives and have the students use their own writing skills. I service children from the ages 3-21 and feel that this book can be used by all ages. This is definitely on my purchase list.

A beautiful picture book book that would work wonderfully as a stimulus for creative writing and art work.

Dear God, how did I somehow miss this book over the past 25 years? It is an absolutely stunning piece of work and needs to be a part of every child's library! It stretches the imagination with wacky ideas like what would happen if frogs ate rainbows and then turns them into illustrated interpretations of each statement. The drawings/paintings are breathtakingly beautiful and really make you think. You could have so many discussions about different ways to interpret each of these sayings and try to create your own interpretations. Plus the book is almost open-ended, allowing you to think of even more on your own. And again, it just gorgeous. I think my favorites are the dogs as mountains and holding music. Although the toes as teeth is amusing. They are all just wonderful and a great introduction to surreal art, which is one of my favorite styles.

There's a Readers' Guide at the end of this with some explanations as well as other thought-provoking questions.

I quite emphatically give this book 5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

LOVED this! I'm definitely going to use it in my Language Arts classroom, I just have to figure out how...

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.

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.

If... by Sarah Perry is pure artistic and poetic creativity. It...is something different. A book you would feel proud you discovered, observing the delight of those you share this treasure with. A welcome to the absurd but magically beautiful world of Surrealism. A juxtaposition of illustrations, ideas, and intermedia. A modern day Fluxus event. The interaction between the text and the reader will surely prompt the reader to continue with their own Ifs... If skunks made honey...If chickens laid lemons. This will be perfect to prompt children writers to write and illustrate their idea.

This is a thought provoking and beautifully imagined book for all ages! As the title suggests, this book will leave you thinking "What if?". The illustrations are wonderfully done, and it brings your imagination to life!

‘If...’ (the 25th Anniversary Edition) is a book full of whimsical and thought-provoking questions, coupled with surreal imagery. It invites you to exercise your imagination and expand upon the amazing things pictured.

If cats could fly...
If music could be held...
If ugly were beautiful...

This book is accompanied at the end by a fantastic reading guide that encourages readers to ask ‘if... what then?’. This section perfectly demonstrates how to explore ‘If...’ in further depth and really show how these types of questions can turn any kernel of an idea into a writing or art prompt!

Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley & Getty Publications for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is definitely a book I will be buying for the library!

This is a beautiful book for dreamers and those who like to explore the thought of if.... As such it will surprise you, make you want to keep on dreaming creatively and also to explore the world around you - both the natural world as we know it and one that could be.

First of all the book is a teaser since if you don't read the description then there isn't much to tell you about what the story may actually be about. Then again the magic begins if you also pay attention to the cover and notice the details of its illustration.

The writing itself is very simple and easy to follow so beginning readers will find this a good book to start reading on. Each page has only just a few words to explain the thought while the following illustration is what drives home the point in a beautiful visual.

And although the words are calming and inspiring it is most definitely the beautiful and brightly colored illustrations that bring it altogether. Although there are a few illustrations that didn't really stand out to me like the toes, the worms and the zebras, all of the rest of them did and they were charming. I found a few that just had me laughing with the thought.

In the end I have to say I found a new children's book that I like and I cannot wait to find someone to share it with....

**Please note I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review**

It took me an inordinate amount of time to figure out how to view this book. My apologies!

I am glad I persisted, it is a magical and thought-provoking little read. My children talk like this all day long, if teachers were cats or if I could talk to mongooses. If butterflies were travelling princesses. I love any book that promotes imagination and storytelling, the interactive element is delightful!

I would love to own a hard copy one day.

A lovely, thought-provoking book. Very enjoyable and would definitely recommend to parents. Could be good for class discussions.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Getty Publications for the ARC of this book.

Do you remember when a thought just pops inside your head, like "What if pigs can fly using their curly tails as a propeller?" Yeah, this book is a collection of such weird yet utterly interesting thoughts and illustrations. It summons inspiration and creativity.

A truly odd and magnificent book. I found the artwork to be amazing and couldn't stop staring at it. The book was so interesting and I think it would be a great read for any kid.

"If" by Sarah Perry was beautiful. I loved the bizarre "creations" and the art style is gorgeous, some really caught my eye like the space whales and the butterfly hair. Beautiful illustrated book.

Wow! Such fantastic illustrations - so clever. I will inspect my toothpaste carefully tonight: check out the image for yourself.

This is a beautiful book that I think children would love to explore. There is so much you can talk about in each picture and nothing is quite what it seems. I love the illusions which blur reality and can imagine many different ways that this book could be used across the curriculum to inspire writing, art and creativity.

Wonderful nook - don't miss it!

4 imaginative stars
If... is one of those rare interactive books to get readers (and those read to) to ponder art, imagination, and even the absurd. It invites them to see the world in a new way. It gives the perusers things to count and colors to find, questions to ask.
The only page I did not like was ‘if... mice were hair.’ Yuck. I LOVED ‘if... music could be held.’ I have long imagined a similar magical picture.
Author Sarah Perry hope the book would trigger a smile (whether private or shared. If... still does, 25 years after its first printing.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great reprint.
This is a great book for helping bend your imagination.
Some of the artwork has been used in examples or other famous works.
The imagination is tested by the images and words to make you think out of the box.

I love this strange little book, it's beautiful. For a picture book it really opens the door for lots of discussion. Firstly to open the narrative to explain concepts such as braille that is mentioned in the book, hopefully in a way that makes it fun to learn. I also just love the idea of sitting down with a child and making up your own stories based on the images you see. Some of the illustrations are definitely out there, but the artwork is beautiful and has potentially to create a truly special connection with your small person.

Simply stunning. The 25th-anniversary release of a classic, beautifully-illustrated, incredibly imaginative picture book—one you'll want to visit again and again. If turtles were magnetic, if music could be held, if worms had wheels, if ugly were beautiful (a warthog with a diamond tiara is shown), if dogs were mountains, if cats could fly, etc. Sarah Perry brings us phenomenal drawings of these and other what "if" scenarios. Five stars.

Exquisite paintings that boggles the mind...images of whales swimming in outer space and so much more! Creativity can be limitless for those who dare. The word “if” is so powerful and this book encourages us all to dare.

A wonderful addition for any library. Love it!

This anniversary version of IF, Sarah Perry’s iconic children’s picture book, is a wild ride of color, weird images and clever text. Feels a bit psychedelic actually. It holds your attention through its originality and beautiful illustrations. A must-have for those who dig fantastical art.

Pub Date 03 Mar 2020

Grateful to Getty Publications and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#If #NetGalley

Great art work with a lot of fantasies. This book is gorgeous! I had to smile more than once to see things coming to life. Many thoughts and illustrations, starting with If... Marvelous works!

I remember this book! I am so happy that it is available for a new generation of writing workshop teachers. I am certainly going to share it with my preservice teachers. It cries out of imagining, exploring and reaching down deep for your surreal illustration, which of course, you have to write about. What a treasure!

This is such a fun book, filled with imaginative images that invite dreaming up stories to go with them. In this 25th anniversary edition, we get new illustrations, plus a reader's guide to some of the secrets and hidden things within the illustrations throughout the book. Great fun for all ages!

#If #NetGalley

Breathtaking and surreal, this is a glorious reprint of a children's picture book. The illustrations are amazing watercolours, in which anything can happen.

How did I miss this little gem over the years? What a wonderful flight of imagination! It's oddness would be enjoyed by children of all ages. Loved the illustrations!

This is a sparsely worded book at less than a 100 words, if you do not include the newly added Reader’s Guide at the end of the book for this edition (which is also fascinating, by the way!). And not one complete sentence in those less than 100 words too……

But this book is all about the illustrations, and of course those short pithy ‘If...’ questions next to them that together are bound to lead to much longer discussions and exercises in out-of-the-box creativity!

Opening this book is like looking into a child’s actively imaginative mind and having it pop out at you in brilliant colors. Consider these examples from the book that range from the sweetness of mountains that are giant sleeping dogs to the total grossness (for adults at least) of mice as your hair!!

The book effortlessly takes you on a trip to the great land of imagination, to the start of the wonderful and weird conversations you can have with little ones (or even with other adults), to get yourself or anyone to bend their minds a little more, or – to use the cliched phrase – step out of the box completely! This makes it a great resource for inspiring creativity for your art projects as well as writing exercises, as well as to simply enjoy it!

In Summary
Surreal, outlandish, weird, enjoyable, surprising, beautiful, magical, unsettling, whimsical and totally, totally out-of-the-box imaginative and creative.

So yes, go ahead and invite your imagination with If… by Sarah Perry, for it is a must-have for every creative’s and every child’s bookshelf.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Netgalley and Getty Books for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

If... is simple yet evocative. The first time I read through this book, I felt pulled in two different directions. On the one hand, I wanted to sit and stare at the pages without blinking. On the other, I was eager to discover what else this book had to offer. The illustrations are absolutely breathtaking, and I wish I could frame every single page and hang them around the house. It's like the author combined the silliness of Alice in Wonderland with the feeling of walking through a museum.

I recently learned this book celebrated it's 25th anniversary, and I'm really surprised I haven't stumbled across it before now. If... has profoundly impacted my perception of the world, and it's made me consider various other what ifs that are not addressed within the pages of this book. I am ecstatic that I get to share this wonderful work of art with my children, and introduce them to a new way of thinking that nurtures their imaginations.

My favorites: If dogs were mountains... & If caterpillars were toothpaste... They're all fantastic, but those would be my top two. My only complaint would be that I ran out of pages! Additionally, the Reader's Guide at the end was interesting and educational, but explained in a way that made you want to know and learn more. I cannot praise this book enough, and if it's something you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing, please do yourself a favor and borrow it from the library or just buy it outright.

This is such an amazing book that will prompt all sorts of imaginations, those of children and parents alike. I can only imagine the amazing and wonderful thoughts this book would bring out in children. Because this is an anniversary edition, I’m sure that it has already done so much good for children’s imaginations and will only continue to do this important job.
Each page is a startling image that combines two things that our world’s law of physics wouldn’t allow. For instance, “what if cats could fly?”. The images seamlessly blend these opposites together and allow for a believable outcome that is both interesting and beautiful, sometimes even silly.
On top of everything else, these are secrets to look for in some of the images that make it a more exciting book to read with a child. I strongly believe that children should read throughout the day – not just at bedtime – and this would be the perfect book for that. It would sharpen the reading and observation skills of the children reading it. This fact, for me, makes this book stand out from other children’s books.
I recommend this book for anyone looking for their child’s next favourite read.

This book definitely delves deep into the imagination and urges you to let go of any tethers to the real world if only so you can fully enjoy the book. The illustrations were far more substantial than the text by itself; and together they create a wonderful book that truly does have multiple stories as it is stated at the end of the book. Each page and each illustration begs your curiosity and creativity. It was an experience to read this book and I would definitely recommend this book to kids because they are so much better at letting go of any inhibitions and fall face first into stories that barely mirror their reality.
The cover especially drew me to this book and I'm so glad it was made in such an eye-catching manner that I couldn't skip it.
I have not read the first and original edition, but I definitely appreciate this second edition. Happy 25th anniversary of this book to the author, I'm sure it will do well with the readers of today!

<i>*Thank you to the publishers; Getty Publications, the author; Sarah Perry, and Netgalley for my free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.</i>

A very enjoyable children’s book. My children are aged 2-5 and loved the silly illustrations. It gave us all a good giggle before bedtime. A must have for your miniature book worms.

Sarah Perry’s “If…” captures the endless imagination of young children quite wonderfully, bringing to life all of those “what if” thoughts with interesting and bizarre illustrations.

If cats could fly… If turtles were magnetic… If dreams were visible…

Reading this book will surely inspire kids in the 3-7 age range to invent and explore more creative ideas about life.


Thank you to NetGalley and Getty Publications for sending me a free digital copy of this book to read and review.

Somehow, I had never seen this book until now, the 25th anniversary, and I think it's great. Very surreal and I love the concentration on animals. That being said, if you are truly supposed to imagine these scenarios as real, it can get a bit horrifying! The one that stood out right away was 'If caterpillars were toothpaste.' Well, naturally if that were the case we'd smush them against our teeth and they would die and we'd have animal guts all around our mouth which would probably make us sick. So...I feel like maybe that one isn't as magical as some of the other examples. I mean, how can that end up well for us or the caterpillar? It's kind of the same thing with 'If butterflies were clothes.' As soon as we sat down, they would be crushed. If they fly about at their own whimsy, would that leave us nude? So with these few exceptions, it's quite enjoyable, albeit a bit dated. Worth a look!

I received an electronic copy from Getty Publications through NetGalley.
An updated 25th edition of Perry's book.
So much to see in these amazing illustrations and read the accompanying text. Readers can write further stories to go with each drawing. Readers can even combine pictures to spin larger tales. Perry encourages independent thinking and creativity as readers explore the details in the illustrations and then push farther with their own imaginations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an electronic copy of the @5th Anniversary Edition.

This is an incredible book that is truly as lovely to read as it is to look at. There are some really thought provoking "if" statements that are accompanied by such beautiful illustrations. As an educator I love the Readers' Guide at the end. There are little prompts to encourage deep thinking that would make for excellent writing prompts as well. This will be a gem for sure in my classroom library.

**I received an e-ARC from NetGalley for an honest review**

Excellent illustrations and wonderful colors. The font was well spaced and easy to read. It's great study in surrealism.

Overall, 4/5 stars- the deduction is due to the "toe teeth" and the "caterpillar toothpaste" grossing me out. There are some things that should never be put on paper.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this copy of If.... to read and review!

If.... by Sarah Perry is a strange children's book. It's a little mature for young pre-readers but likely too young for readers. My 3,5 yr old son and I read this together. The book has pages with the concepts of magnets and Braille which go over his head entirely and are not easily explained. This is always frustrating when reading to my kids.

Many pages I found disturbing, unsettling, and creepy. When I snuggle and read with my children, the last image I need in my head is toes for teeth. Like, what the heck? Why??

However, my son did like it. He does indeed have a strange taste in books as he loves the bizarre old stories of Theo LeSieg like Wacky Wednesday (another very disturbing book....), the silliness of Richard Scarry, and the oddness of Shel Silverstein's poetry.

Even though he liked it, because I am the one reading it, my opinion trumps his. I would not purchase this book or recommend it. If mice were hair? I would throw up and want to die. Ew.

A marvelously illustrated book that is perfect for engaging a child’s imagination. It opens a world of creative possibilities to anyone looking to expand what is real and fathomable.

This is a dada book. It encourages fantasy, imagination and introspection. It made me think about all the different ways the world can be seen, all the perspectives I didn't even consider yet. It's a wonderful book about ideas, creation, poetry and image. I loved it.

A mix of what ifs and fine art for children. Much more high minded than most picture books and still accessible to young ones. The photos are though provoking and will likely lead to lots of what if drawings by readers who are also aspiring young artists.

Fuel for the Imagination

Even though this book has been out for 25 years, I hadn't heard of it. What an incredibly visually stunning and imaginative book! If you are new to the book like me, what the author does is present an “if” scenario like “If caterpillars were toothpaste…” and then has a detailed, usually colorful, and sometimes amusing illustration of that idea. Some illustrations were funny. I particularly liked the unfortunately magnetic turtle, who didn't look thrilled about all those items attached to its back! This book could be simply enjoyed on its own, or it could be used to encourage a child's imagination, where they could come up with their own implausible “if” scenarios and maybe even draw them. I love it when books inspire imagination in kids. My own love of reading started in childhood and stemmed from using my imagination to “see” the book or imagine new stories for favorite characters. To this day, I still love the adventures that books take me on. I love that, in this book, the reader is encouraged to both enjoy the whimsy of the book itself and come up with her or his own scenarios. The author does have a two-page reader guide in the back that first tells of the different ways you could use this book with a child and then shares some things to look for in a few of the illustrations. A fun book to encourage playfulness and seeing other possibilities.

This picture book gave me so much Dixit-vibes :) I loved it. The pictures were beautiful and very interesting, I can imagine them as a Dixit card. This book is perfect to think.
I knew that this book will be surrealistic, and I am not a fan of that. I requested this book because I was interested in it. I was not sure that I will like it, but I was too curious. Some pictures were amazing for me and wanted to see more about it, some were disgusting and some were a little bit boring. I gave 3 stars because of that and because I am not a fan of surrealism at the end, but it surprised me in a good way :)

What a lovely little book this is. Illustrations are thought-provoking and beautifully done, and each one is as enchanting as the last. The bit which explains the ideas behind the images is an especially nice addition.
Many thanks to Net Galley, Getty Publications and Sarah Perry for my ARC.