“Does the universe end? Like, is there a wall?” When five-year-old Anton posed this question, it captured the essence of a child’s boundless curiosity — those seemingly simple inquiries that open doors to vast mysteries.
Inspired by this kind of wonder, author Sarah Manguso and cartoonist Liana Finck embarked on a unique journey: collecting thousands of questions from children (including their own) and weaving them into a beautifully illustrated book, Questions Without Answers. The book celebrates the enchanting and sometimes bewildering questions children ask, capturing the brilliance of their minds at work. Here’s a glimpse into their world and a conversation with Sarah and Liana about the magic behind those questions.
Childhood Curiosity: Endless, Unfiltered, and Profound
Children’s questions can be hilarious, profound, and deeply moving — often all at once. Sarah recalls the difficulty in narrowing down the questions for the book. “Kids ask the funniest and most bittersweet questions side by side,” she says. “Like, right after a child asks if clowns pee blue, they might ask when you’re going to die. Those juxtapositions stay with me.” One of her favorite questions included in the book is a tender one: “Was mom a baby once, too? Did I play with her?”
Liana shares some recent gems from her own three-year-old, including “Do you get a lollipop when you get out of jail?” and “Why do squirrels usually not talk?” Her list of questions keeps growing, and she admits she’s holding back from sharing them all. It’s a reminder of how children observe and interpret the world with fresh eyes and imaginative leaps.
Seeing Children as “Hardworking Empiricists”
In the book’s introduction, Sarah writes about how children aren’t just innocent and simple—they are “dizzyingly fast-learning engines of art and experiment.” She describes watching her son make sense of the world not as a “simple-minded cherub” but as a meticulous “measuring, remembering machine.”
Sarah shares a poignant memory of when her son was four and asked her three questions at once: “When I was in your body, did you know me? Was I excited to meet you? Did I make the world?” All three made their way into the book, underscoring how children’s questions often explore deep existential territory, even as they are couched in simple language.
Liana agrees that Sarah’s introduction provides a powerful foundation, “like a strong blue shadow” behind the whimsical yet profound questions throughout the book.
The Tenderness and Mystery of Childhood Questions
Reading Questions Without Answers evokes many emotions. Liana admits she teared up at the question, “When you die, can I come with you?” Sarah says she is often moved by questions like, “After they bury you, when do they come back and dig you out again?”
These questions, filled with innocence and raw honesty, touch on the great unknown — death, existence, the mysteries adults often tiptoe around. Sarah recalls how at her grandmother’s funeral, the vicar said, “Now your grandmother will be with your grandfather in the graveyard, or wherever they are in the great mystery.” That phrase, “the great mystery,” beautifully embraces the unknown without fear or pretense — something children intuitively grasp and do not necessarily need to be shielded from.
Childhood Memories and the Origins of Wonder
Sarah reflects on her own childhood curiosity. When she asked her mother where babies came from, the answer was vague: “You have to have a special kind of egg.” For years, she wondered if she needed to eat that egg. Liana recalls that Sesame Street characters, rather than soothing her childhood fears, transformed into terrifying monsters in her imagination. These memories reveal how early experiences shape our lifelong relationship with curiosity and the unknown.
Beloved Children’s Books and Inspirations
Both Sarah and Liana share some of their favorite children’s books that have shaped their thinking and inspired Questions Without Answers.
Liana grew up with the works of William Steig, Maurice Sendak, Ruth Krauss, and Maira Kalman — books she describes as “mind-blowing” and deeply rooted in her childhood. Among recent favorites are Time is a Flower by Julie Morstad and Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers, both cosmic in scope and wonder.
Sarah recommends Syd Hoff’s The Horse in Harry’s Room, a story about imagination and acceptance, and Margaret Wise Brown’s I Like Stars, a lesser-known gem she describes as a “psychedelic experience,” especially for sleep-deprived parents.
Celebrating the Questions That Shape Us
Questions Without Answers invites us to embrace the curiosity children bring into the world — questions that may have no easy answers, but are filled with wonder, fear, humor, and hope. In doing so, it reminds us to see the children around us not just as little beings asking silly questions, but as complex thinkers exploring the vastness of life.
So next time a child asks something that seems outlandish or profound, take a moment to appreciate the depth behind their words. It might just be a glimpse into the universe itself — no walls, just endless possibility.
Thank you, Sarah Manguso and Liana Finck, for capturing the brilliance of childhood wonder in such a beautiful way.
