Author: Pablo Neruda
Illustrator: Paloma Valdivia
Year: 2022
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Some books don’t give answers – instead, they offer endless questions, like a corridor of doors leading to the unknown. The Book of Questions, the last great work of Chilean poet and Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda, was written just a few months before his death in 1973. It is full of questions – philosophical, playful, and absurd – like “Where does the rainbow end, in your soul or on the horizon?”, “How do I express to the tortoise that I surpass him in slowness?”, and “Why do rocks have so many wrinkles and so many holes?” These riddles stretch the imagination beyond its limits, teaching us to see the world anew, with curiosity and wonder.
Paloma Valdivia, who, like Neruda, comes from Chile, brings these questions to life with her illustrations. On her pages, everything is connected – animals and plants, people and space, winds and waves. Bright reds, yellows, and turquoises intertwine with deep blacks and grays, creating a sense that both cries out and falls silent.
The book comes in a transparent cover with green lettering, a nod to Neruda’s favorite ink color, the color of hope. Inside, six gatefold spreads reveal hidden questions and secret illustrations, drawing readers deeper into the mystery.
