This is a very unique book. We love the idea of using it to talk about imagination and make believe. Ada and I love giggling at the things that were dreamed and then thought about our own ‘Ifs’ after. It is a great story, especially to play and enjoy.

This surreal and lushly coloured book truly lives up to its reputation as weird. The premises set up by the text and then vividly realised by the coloured illustrations are bizarre in a way that children can identify with, until the whimsy is knocked out of them. For the imaginative child this will be a sensory feast and for the older sceptical child it still has appeal.

The illustrations are beautiful, and the if statements really lead to some fun conversations with my kids. I Think my favorite was “if hummingbirds told secretS” they would talk really fast. It leads to fin conversations getting your kids to expand their imaginations.

Super cool book!!! Some of the Ifs were pretty funny also!! Great book to get the imagination going!! Also full of stunning illustrations!

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

If…
By: Sarah Perry
4.3 / 5.0

This picture book is a great way to get a child to think. It lets the imagination to wonder and to ponder scenarios. This book could lead a child to invent something based on how this book got them thinking. I think this book would be great to read at bedtime when a child could look at the illustrations up close. The illustrations were really fun to look at even for me.
I had never heard of this picture book before, but now I will never forget it. People are always asking for good picture books for a baby shower or even just for a child they don’t know much about and this one would be perfect. It isn’t tailored to a specific gender, which is great. Many people ask me for a picture book for a girl or boy, but don’t know anything about them and that leaves me stumped a lot of the time. I will definitely try to display this picture book as much as possible.



Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/If-Getty-Trust-Publications-Museum/dp/0892363215/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=If...&qid=1591391306&sr=8-2

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-sarah-perry/1132798987?ean=9781947440050

This review will appear on my blog on July 2, 2020.

This 25th Anniversary Edition by author #Sarah Perry is timeless and end chanting.For all these children at home right now this is perfect for them since it’s so imaginative.And the photography I enjoyed.
Take a fantastical journey where anything can happen:leaves turn into fish 🐠,cats fly with wings,humans have tails and dreams become visible.Its a #Wonderland 🎩 experience.
Thank you,
#Netgalley,#Sarah Perry and #Getty Publications

The art in <i>If...</i> is a joy to look at! It demonstrates that our imagination can take us anywhere. I would not want to spoil the art for you, so go ahead and take a look for yourselves.

What an intriguing book! If fish were leaves, or spiders read braille, or you could see dreams. Beautifully illustrated with a plethora of ideas to challenge your mind. So many possibilities for discussion on every page and I loved that you have some question points at the end of the book to help you look a little deeper into the imagery. A brilliant book to help children explore the concept of reality and fantasy and give them ideas to help construct their own interwoven imaginary concepts. #if #NetGalley Thanks NetGalley and Publisher for digital review copy.

A visually inviting and unusual look at nature using creative but sparse vocabulary. The book is a wonderful way to inspire curiosity, imagination and discussion with the many 'what if...' scenarios. These include if cats could fly. if dreams were visible, if music could be held. This one book could promote hours of discussion and debate amount children... and adults.

This book opens up lots of 'what if's'. Some of the illustrations are lovely, like the If music could be held and if dreams were visible. Some are creepy - like the if toes were teeth and if caterpillars were toothpaste! Its a different type of book that makes you want to stare at some of the illustrations whereas other pages you want to skip past quickly! Thank you Netgalley for letting me review this book.

Whimsical ideas with beautiful illustrations. An adventure in what if... the world looked a different way... what if mice were hair, if the moon were square. The author encourages readers to further elaborate on each proposed scenario. Lovely book

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.

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
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.