Originally published in Italian as Che cos'è un bambino?, this philosophical picture-book from author/artist Beatrice Alemagna offers a meditative examination of childhood, and the nature of the child. Each two-page spread features a description of things children do, or of how they experience the world on the one side, and a full-page illustration on the other. Occasionally, there is discussion of adults as well, either in contrast to, or in comparison with children. In the end, the narrative concludes, a child is a small person, one who needs kind eyes in order to fall asleep...

Unlike some of her other picture-books, from On a Magical Do-Nothing Day to The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy, it feels as if Alemagna is aiming What Is a Child? as much at adult readers as at children themselves. There is a sense of change here, but it is change that is seen looking backward, rather than forward - change seen in retrospect. There is a wistful quality to the narrative, as opposed to a hopeful one. It's almost as if this were the inverse of those aspirational picture-books, like Dr. Seuss' Oh, The Places You'll Go!, or Emily Winfield Martin's The Wonderful Things You Will Be. Which isn't to say it is sad or depressing, merely quiet and contemplative. The artwork is striking, and done in a slightly different style than the other Alemagna books I have picked up. I liked that there was no cuteness here, and that sometimes the children weren't depicted in an ideal sense (in one scene, a little boy is picking his nose). Although I am glad, as an admirer of Alemagna's work, to have read this one, I'm not sure to whom I would recommend it. Perhaps to those who prefer more philosophical picture-books? I could be wrong, but I suspect this is one that will have greater resonance with adult readers, than child listeners. ( )