The Three Questions
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The Three Questions description
Nikolai is a boy who believes that if he can find the answers to his three questions, he will always know how to be a good person. His friends--a heron, a monkey, and a dog--try to help, but to no avail, so he asks Leo, the wise old turtle. "When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do?" Leo doesn't answer directly, but by the end of Nikolai's visit, the boy has discovered the answers himself. Award-winning illustrator Jon J Muth's lovely watercolors are the most appealing aspect of this book about compassion and living in the moment. The simple Zen-based profundity of the boy's philosophical exploration may escape young readers, but they will enjoy the tale of a child who, in doing good deeds (for a panda and her baby, no less!), finds inner peace. Muth based his story on a short story of the same title by Leo Tolstoy. (Ages 5 to 9) --Emilie Coulter |
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The Three Questions Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥
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....love the ones you're with
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In my lovely CA Sheltered Immersion 1st grade they are learning to speak in English, it takes a long time to get to the place where the text of a book can be really understood. Especially a book to "think." But it matters because children need to know the "purposes of books."
So this is a book that might fit an early space in my year, talking of being a good person, but waited until the "now" of yesterday. We are more ready. I ordered it last year and using it the two years is such a difference, that alone argues for one of the books core thoughts/strands, that we do, in fact, live in the now.
And that we bring to this now all that we are.
Yesterday I read to a fairly calm group, we are over-weighted with activity this year, impatience as times, so many unnecessary distractions, boys 2 to 1 so that the room (as every one has been in a 26 or 27 year career, depends on if you count the subbing year) each year has had a very unique character. Hard to generalize. That's 1st.
( Keep in mind the following is altered a bit for the child's privacy)
One child in my room is struggling with a parent abusing his mother right now. Police being called, lots of hitting. What I see plainly is a child that cares deeply for his mom sees the model of a dad he also wants to follow. Conflict in the kinds of things modeled lead him into being frozen. Into very difficult school manners. A father who behaves with poor choices, gang-type behaviors, verbal and physical taunting. A bully but also a coward. And there isn't much joy in saying that. My student is torn down the core and the entire experience is difficult everyday. Because recently things escalated I noted the child as more distracted than ever, he's really never managed to get work done much, more out of his space, more demanding. To say this child is my full time work understates....just the same it's a pretty normal thing I do daily.
I try to place the child in a learning world, a supportive one where we can, at least part of the time reflect on the things we do as choices and define "who we want to be."
So I read to the students, "The Three Questions" I commonly call this book "The Three Wishes" which carries I think a certain symbolism for me.
No, these are questions asked by a boy that would like to do "the right thing" but is not always certain how to know for sure what this is.
He is searching for certainties in an uncertain world.Searching to know. Much of life is conveyed here perhaps to the children is the concrete "do this." But in the story this takes on the relativity of who we are in a moment.And acting in our real lives. In this way it is an empowerment piece not about telling a child all rights and wrongs but trusting a child to use that which they have learned and seen in compassionate ways and in ways fitting their moments.
The child has interesting friends, a bird-heron, monkey and dog that he first asks three questions. We aren't told how the child arrives at the questions that he feels will guide him ( of course this is translating a Tolstoy story) but they are pretty fascinating, "When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do?"
My class tried to anticipate what three questions might be, as guides to doing the right things. Not too far off these. But a bit different.
The boy asks his friends and the interesting this is the answers fit who they are. This is important information. My class did offer that as a reflection. This makes it hard for the child because as we all know in life the thoughts of our friends inform us, have value, in some cases we would prefer to simply follow and yet, it may not be what we need. It may not speak to our heart.
And so the wise old turtle is asked. This is presented through an "experience," the experience of a visit to the wise elder. While visiting the here and now predominates over the questioning. Turtle is practically digging a garden. Real things happen, a drama from the weather, the boy has to show who he is, he has to act on something that is rather dramatic and potentially dangerous. He has to take who he is into an active state which he does without really thinking too much. It's a call to bring his "self" to the spot. I won't spoil that part except to say that healing, weather, running, woods, pandas and digging are all involved in a good way. After this the child asks the questions again and the wise turtle directs him to examine this relating to what he has done that very day. Through this the child is gently asked to consider the importance of the now, doing this with all you have. A child connected reminding the class my favorite word is "this." Indeed it always has been. It is only in "this" that I can "be."
Then the important one, the one you are with, the one you act for, the one that is not you. In the story the boy learns that is not so hard a question. It is who you are there with, I might translate that as "serve." I might translate that "you." I might say this as outside of self.
The idea of that lovely, we learn the best time,is right now. Right thing to do, this thing you are doing, all of this changing, changing in the story, changing in circumstances, changing for the friends.
In this way we read a story supporting a child trying to do a very difficult thing, live in the moments of life feeling assured and ready. It doesn't seem possible to cover this context of change, this sophistication with a don't hit rule alone. I wanted to bring to the children living breathing meanings.
The book was beautifully illustrated with watercolors and bound with a lovely quality paper. It brings in this way a kind of specialness, beauty to the experience. It was a contemplative experience. A time the children thought a bit. In a little while they moved happily into their next moments. No need to ask of them that they bring all of themselves into the moments. At six they are fully charged by the painting of their houses, or the wind on their cheek or the worry over the hamsters water bottle . It is to this truth I was smiling as I watched them think as a group about cleaning up and going home.
Readying a group of children for all the "this' a life will bring.
With a fine book to carry in the winds of changing circumstances. |
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The Three Questions Books In Print, Audio Books.