Ask Me

by Antje Damm

Ask a question.
Start a conversation.
Stregthen a relationship.

Here are more than 100 questions, accompanied by rich and varied images that are designed to stimulate converstation between parent and children. The questions are provocative, the images sometimes startling, sometimes beautiful, and always mesmerizing. This little book deserves a place on every family's bookshelf.

Genres: Picture Books, Parenting, Childrens

224 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2003

About the author

Antje Damm, 1965 in Wiesbaden geboren, ging nach dem Abitur zunächst als Aupair-Mädchen nach Italien, bevor sie in Darmstadt Architektur studierte. Dies führte sie erneut nach Italien, denn in Florenz verbrachte sie ein Auslandsemester. Danach arbeitete sie mehrere Jahre freiberuflich für diverse Architekturbüros. Seit ihre Töchter auf der Welt sind, schreibt und illustriert sie Kinderbücher. Heute lebt sie mit ihrem Mann und ihren vier Kindern in einem alten Fachwerkhaus in der Nähe von Gießen.


Antje Damm is a celebrated children’s writer and illustrator. Born in 1965 in Wiesbaden, Germany, she now lives with her husband and four children in a half-timbered house near Giessen. She has worked as an architect and has written and illustrated over a dozen books for children.

The Visitor, was selected as one of ten New York Times / New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2018.

Reviews

[Yolandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is books is quite something. My then 5 and 6 year old daughters could not get enough of it and even wanted me to take it to our local park. It took a few minutes and I felt like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, because soon a large crowd of small children gathered around me and were all desperate to answer the questions. They all absolutely loved it. The questions are great conversation starters. This book would be a great not just for parents, but also for babysitters and nursery/ preschool staff.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book poses wonderful questions that you can ask your child.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, I could have made a book like this for my family by myself. But why? Here is a great conversation starter book, designed for parents, children and families, but really applicable to all ages, in one visually appealing small package.

The book's format pairs conversation starter questions with related illustrations and photos to spark stories. Whenever I've pulled this out to talk with my daughter (3 years old) it has elicited some funny conversations, and even more so when I've used it with her grandmother, too. Starter questions range from: "How did your parents choose your name?" to "How do you make people laugh?" to "What do you put on to look good?"

Kids see the world so differently than most adults, and this book can be one of your many tools to help open the door to that world, AND spark the start of your own stories about your kids. It's a great connection builder; keep it near the dinner table. Works well for a range of ages from young children all the way up to grandparents.

[KidsNonFiction Teton County Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, I could have made a book like this for my family by myself. But why? Here is a great conversation starter book, designed for parents, children and families, but really applicable to all ages, in one visually appealing small package.

The book's format pairs conversation starter questions with related illustrations and photos to spark stories. Whenever I've pulled this out to talk with my daughter (3 years old) it has elicited some funny conversations, and even more so when I've used it with her grandmother, too. Starter questions range from: "How did your parents choose your name?" to "How do you make people laugh?" to "What do you put on to look good?"

Kids see the world so differently than most adults, and this book can be one of your many tools to help open the door to that world, AND spark the start of your own stories about your kids. It's a great connection builder; keep it near the dinner table. Works well for a range of ages from young children all the way up to grandparents. Kirsten

[Philippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This chunky book doesn’t tell a story. Instead, it is a series of beautiful illustrations each with a short question, such as ‘What makes you cross?’ and ‘What do you wish you could do really well?’ This seems like the perfect book for ideas for circle time. The question selected could be a simple icebreaker like ‘What colour eyes do you have?’ or something that could prompt discussion of a much deeper topic. The pictures are so colourful and simple, and yet the ideas so thought-provoking, making it a wonderful tool allowing children to start opening up and expressing themselves. I think it could be a lovely opportunity for children to select the topic for circle time as a reward for good behaviour or trying hard, and could be used throughout KS1 and into KS2.

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a favourite book for my family. We have spent many car drives and evenings calling out questions from the book to which we all need to give an answer. I highly recommend this book. It has been a lot of fun particularly when the whole extended family gets involved. It starts a family history tree :)

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 4-year-old and I loved reading this together. He begged me to ask him more questions.

[Lana Krumwiede]

Great conversation starters! Also good for writing prompts.

[katsok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. Plan on using it when we have a few minutes in the classroom to start some conversations.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can see this book being as well-received in a classroom as it has been in my family. Full of interesting questions that you can dip into and immediately start conversations with.