LUDWIG AND THE RHINOCEROS

In this tale translated from German, a child raises a profound question.

At bedtime, Ludwig strikes up a conversation with a rhinoceros. Hearing the chatter, Ludwig’s caregiver enters the bedroom and, not seeing the animal, tries to convince Ludwig that there can’t possibly be a rhinoceros here. The caregiver searches the room, never seeing the rhinoceros. Readers share Ludwig’s perspective and spot the elusive creature on every page. Ludwig argues that it’s not possible to prove the rhino isn’t here—after all, the moon is in the sky even though they can’t see it. The backmatter notes that this concept is a play on philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein’s question of how to prove something isn’t there, which is much harder than proving something is. The philosophical theory might go over some young readers’ heads but could still be thought-provoking. The illustrations rely on just three colors—bright blue, yellow, and red (which blend into other colors when printed on top of one another)—while still giving dimension to shadows and details like wood grain on the dresser. Giving little ones—Ludwig and readers—the power of owning the book’s perspective is an interesting flip of traditional adult-child dynamics. Here, the child holds the knowledge that the adult struggles to understand. Ludwig and the caregiver have yellow skin. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Even if the philosophy doesn’t land, the playful illustrations will still appeal to readers.