Twenty-five years later, Sarah Perry's "If..." remains as full of whimsy and wonder as ever. Readers of all ages will enjoy studying the beautiful pictures time and again for details they may have missed. The hybrids and fanatastical images are thought provoking and indeed make one wonder, "What if?"

I showed this book to my younger siblings and they loved it. It contains gorgeous and clever illustrations and it really instigates children's imaginations and creative side. Definitely recommend.

This was a fantastic coffee-table type book for people to enjoy creative juxtapositions of imagery with words. It is also great for reading and pondering over the images. Perhaps this would be a good book for children to read with adults who want to ask questions and think deeply about the concepts presented. The content is great and it is challenging to think of the answers to the questions at the back. That exploration seems like it is A PART of the reading process, and should not be separated. I. wish that the questions were closer to the artwork, as it would be a great "in-situ" type of prompt for readers, rather than requiring them to go to the back of the book to explore. Perhaps having the question text be on the periphery, or a call out? Anyway, a novel book for exploring language and creativity. Would love to see more like it.

If by Sarah Perry. A interesting book said my grandson. He liked it that ants made the number eight because he is eight. He goes these are like riddles. I asked him do you like it. And he said he does. One other thing Sarah Perry is my grandmas name.

I can see why this was republished! It is a surreal classic, reminiscent of 'Tuesday' by David Wiesner. I adored the captivating and strange illustrations. This book is perfect for kids around 4-6 as they will easily be able to spot what's wrong/different about each picture vs. reality. My 5 year old loves picture books like this so I can't wait to show it to him.

Thank you NetGalley and Getty Publications for providing this ARC.

A collection of ponderings of what it would be like if music could be seen or turtles were magnetic, or a whole host of other improbable and impossible ideas were true? Each spread includes a pondering on one side and a illustration imagining it true on the other.

I’ve never come across this book until I saw the 25th anniv. ed. up for review on NetGalley. I decided to see what it was like. It certainly does spark the imagination. This book would make a great story starter or conversation start tool. The situations dreamed up are wild, crazy, and very out of the box. Recommended for dreamers, those with healthy imaginations, and those who like to wonder “what if…?”

Notes on content [based on the ARC]: One illustration shows a child with a bare butt.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an electronic review copy of #If from #NetGalley

Everyone needs a copy of this book! It's perfect for reading to kids, but also wonderful for adults to flip through and explore - there's a good reason it's been popular for so long that this is the 25th anniversary edition. There is also a reading guide at the end that includes discussion questions about the stories/pictures and even about the endsheets! Every single illustration in this book is absolutely stunning and beautifully done, and of course all of the text perfectly matches the pictures. I recommend this book to everyone, regardless of your age or what genres you like or even whether you like fine art.

If . . . is a reformat and re-release of a gorgeous picture book from 1995 by Sarah Perry. Due out 3rd March 2020 from Getty, it's 48 full color pages and will be available in hardcover format.

This is a very short book, but overwhelmingly lush and beautiful. The pictures are surreal and realistically rendered. The artwork is precise and engaging, it draws the eye and invites a lingering contemplation. I have revisited the book a couple times since my original read-through, and I've found myself thinking about one picture or another many times in the intervening hours.

Each of the 23 paintings (not counting endpieces) has a one sentence introduction "if" ants could count, hummingbirds told secrets, dreams were visible, with the artwork illustrating the posit on the facing page. The illustrations are surreal and dreamlike with lots of semi-hidden subtleties and sly details.

This is an all-ages book. Adults will appreciate the beauty and creativity while children will likely appreciate identifying the features of each of the illustrations and everyone can enjoy hunting the hidden 'easter eggs' in each painting.

This 25th anniversary edition also includes a reader's guide with some background info on some of the pictures as well as 2 new paintings and some new spot illustrations.

Gorgeous book, haunting in a good way.

Five stars.

My Review: I vaguely remember seeing some of these illustrations as a kid but not this book, but I love when older and backlist books get a new breath of life. This is definitely a book of whimsy, you don't really get a story only ideas and beautiful artwork to spark the imagination. I think my favorites are "If Cats Could Fly" and "If Clouds were Spirits". In addition to these wonderful little imagination starters, the images also have little hidden secrets, which are revealed at the end to send you back into the book. It is really a lovely book, that will be great for all ages but really great to help spark young creative minds.


My Rating: This is definitely a book that stands the test of time, it is so creative and unique and will spark those quality it the readers as well. You can't help but send your imagination flying while paging though this one. I give it a rating of Three Paws and a Stump Wag!

What a beautiful book to make its re-entry into the world! The drawings are wonderfully playful and really lead the imagination. I look forward to seeing this out in the world again!

What child doesn't love to ask the question, "What if..." This book beautifully illustrates just that question.

While, as an adult, I found that some of the illustrations made me squirm uncomfortably, (Mice as Hair, Toes as Teeth) children will adore it. Plus, it helps their mind bend into new ways of thinking! What a great classroom exercise to talk out before giving students a problem/project where they need to think outside the box.

4.5 Stars (but only because some of the pictures gave me the heebie-jeebies)

Thank you to NetGalley & Getty Publications for giving me this digital copy to read and review.

Imagine having butterflies for clothes or whales in space. In this updated 25th anniversary book by Sarah Perry, beautifully painted watercolor illustrations show these imaginative images. Simple text let's the reader imagine before turning the page to the illustration. The endmatter shares hidden surprises within the illustrations throughout the book. The endpapers are included in the mysterious surprises letting the reader guess what the ants are showing. This would be an amazing book to springboard into an art class or creative writing class! Bravo to the J. Paul Getty Museum for publishing this magnificent book of art and imagination!

Beautiful illustrations! I love the imaginative nature of this book - though a few of the pages made me cringe! (I HATE mice, so the "what if mice were hair" page had me turning to the next page very quickly!

This is a simple yet complex book. Filled with beautiful and intricate illustration and imaginative scenarios, 'If...' is a fun read with a great concept. I loved the art, it was vivid and unique.

'If...' would be a fun read for children (and adults), encouraging creativity and for minds to roam free. I'd recommend this book to both children and adults.

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

An creative and thought provoking picture book; beautifully illustrated in vibrant colour. Perfect for challenging and stretching the imagination of readers, both young and old.

What a fun book to share with a child. What if? Talk about the pictures, go on flights of fancy. What a joy!

If.. by author Sarah Perry is a really fun and adorable book of surreal possibilities. A great children’s!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"If" is one of my favorite questions. This book is beautifully illustrated and I love the creative thought that went into this book. As a creative writing teacher, this would be a great resource.

The pictures made me think of Surrealism and of the work of some artists like Leonor Fini.
It's a breathtaking read and I fell in love with the pictures.
One of those book I'd like to own in hardcover as it's amazing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Quick fun book that all ages can enjoy. I think kids would enjoy the silliness of some of the scenarios while adults can really appreciate the amazing illustrations. Although in personal taste I found toes as teeth and mice as hair a bit disturbing lol. I think this is a great book for letting imagination run wild.