MYSTERIOUS THINGS

A follow-up to the creators’ Invisible Things (2023), which also concerned itself with everyday phenomena that people can’t see.

After being told that “this book is about MYSTERIOUS THINGS” and that “95% of our universe is INVISIBLE,” readers are introduced to some “MYSTERIOUS friends” who can’t be seen, among them Spirit, Weirdness, and Heebie-Jeebies. Each friend is anthropomorphized in Pizza’s illustrations—for instance, Spirit looks like a sheet ghost with yellow eyes. (Readers of the earlier book will be familiar with some of these critters.) The gabby omniscient narrator muses about these pals: “Curiosity and Mystery go hand in hand. They like to be creative—tinkering, playing, and imagining.” The book incorporates the friends into scenes alongside racially diverse children and adults who are all basically wondering, “What does it all mean?!” Needless to say, young readers shouldn’t turn to this book for answers; the point is that sometimes there aren’t any, and that that’s OK. But whereas Invisible Things spoke fairly methodically about feelings and the senses (other than sight), this narrative is more meandering, jumping from topic to topic without making concrete connections. Some children may find this book to be a helpful way to consider ideas that are already percolating, but other kids (and adults) are likely to be frustrated by the whole package, which features chaotic illustrations that include dialogue-balloon wisecracks that strain for humor.

Provocative but ultimately confusing.