Just Because
Sale price
$1797
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2019 · Est. 2 min read-aloud

Just Because

Written by Mac Barnett · Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

A collection of whimsical and imaginative explanations for various natural phenomena and everyday occurrences.

5.8/7 Bookroo experts·3.8/5 Goodreads · 2,239 ratings
40 pages· 223 words· Est. 2 min read-aloud· ~460L
$18.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

As bedtime approaches, a curious child bombards their patient father with questions about the world, from the ocean's color to dinosaur mysteries. Each query sparks a whimsical, imaginative response, turning a simple bedtime routine into a journey of wonder. Will the child's thirst for answers ever be quenched, or will the night be filled with endless curiosity? This enchanting tale captures the magic of a child's inquisitive mind and a parent's creative storytelling, inviting dreamers to explore beyond the ordinary.

From the publisher

Curious minds are rewarded with curious answers in a fantastical bedtime book by Mac Barnett and Isabelle Arsenault.

Why is the ocean blue? What is the rain? What happened to the dinosaurs? It might be time for bed, but one child is too full of questions about the world to go to sleep just yet. Little ones and their parents will be charmed and delighted as a patient father offers up increasingly creative responses to his child’s nighttime wonderings. Any child who has ever asked “Why?” – and any parent who has attempted an explanation – will recognize themselves in this sweet storybook for dreamers who are looking for answers beyond “Just because.”

At a glance
Format
Pages
40
Words
223
Reading age
4–8
Audience
Picture
Lexile
~460L
Inside the book

A peek between the covers

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.8

out of 7

6.0

Isabelle Arsenault's Illustrations are charcoal sketches with a limited color palette on most pages. Stylistically this gives the story the same feel as an old time classic, like Harry the Dirty Dog. The story also starts simply with a scenario very familiar to parents: endless questions from a child to delay bedtime. Despite what you might assume from the title, from the beginning the answers are novel and witty and only get better from there. I loved seeing this father’s answer to what a black hole is. This will become a new favorite at our home.

The Goodfather

Trusted reviewer

5.8

I love the way the father in this book responds to his daughter's bedtime questions with creativity to match her curiosity. It makes me wish I had thought of such a thing all those evenings when my responses devolved to a refrain of, "Just go to bed. We can talk about it in the morning." The father's imaginative responses give his daughter something to think about as she is falling asleep that straight-forward scientific responses do not. By the end of the story I caught myself pondering similarly creative answers to my children's questions. That makes for a good book, one that motivates us to creativity and improves out interactions.

Grammy

Trusted reviewer

The author

More from Mac Barnett

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The illustrator

More from Isabelle Arsenault

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The fine print

Book details

Reading levels
ATOS
~3.1
F&P level
~M
Publication
Published
September 10, 2019
Publisher
Candlewick
Edition
Language
English
Type
Picture Book
Identifiers
ISBN
9780763696801

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