Children’s Book Review of The Three Questions, Based on a Story by Leo Tolstoy: Learning The Three Answers for a Good Life From a Wise Old Turtle
"The Three Questions, Based on a Story by Leo Tolstoy" was created by author-illustrator Jon J. Muth, an internationally acclaimed comic book artist and children’s book illustrator. Nikolai, a young boy, knows the right questions to ask in order to be a good person, but he also needs to know the right answers. A wise old turtle in his garden in the mountains guides Nikolai to the three right, inspiring answers.
The Three Questions, Based on a Story by Leo Tolstory, was written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth and was released by Scholastic Press on April 1, 2002.
Jon J. Muth (born July 28, 1960) enjoys international acclaim in his two artistic careers as comic book artist and children’s book illustrator. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jon Muth now makes his home in upstate New York with his wife Bonnie and their four children. Jon’s favorite author is Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (September 9, 1828–November 20, 1910), two of whose novels, War and Peace (published in 1869) and Anna Karenina (published in 1877), are widely viewed as among the greatest novels ever written.
The subtitle of The Three Questions informs readers that this tale is “Based on a story by Leo Tolstoy”. The Russian author’s short story presents the same questions as Jon Muth’s namesake tale, and the three answers which are deemed to be correct responses remain the same as well. Nevertheless, Jon changes the journey from questions to answers in order to adapt the story for children. Whereas Tolstoy’s main character is a czar, a word derived from caesar, Latin for “Emperor”, Jon’s quester is a young boy named Nikolai.
Wanting to be a good person, Nikolai has identified three questions which need to be asked in order to be good:
(1) When is the best time to do things?
(2) Who is the most important one?
(3) What is the right thing to do?
But asking the right questions is only half of the equation for goodness. The other half is finding the right answers. Nikolai’s friends, Sonya the heron, Pushkin the dog, and Gogol the monkey, make every effort to help Nikolai find the right answers. But their answers, which present various facets of the questions, do not agree. For example, Sonya the heron feels that the most important ones are “those who are closest to heaven” while Gogol the monkey favors healers of the sick and Pushkin the dog growlingly asserts the supremacy of rule makers.
Feeling far from gleaning these three ultimate truths, Nikolai casts around in his mind for recourse and guidance. Then he remembers Leo, an old turtle who lives alone in the mountains.
Hiking up the mountain, Nikolai finds Leo trying to dig a garden, an endeavor which constitutes a struggle for the elderly turtle. Nikolai poses his questions and awaits a response. Instead Leo just smiles and continues with his herculean task.
Realizing the toll of the turtle’s efforts, Nikolai takes over and completes the garden for him. Upon completion, however, a dastardly storm unfurls its fury. As Nikolai heads for Leo’s cottage, he is distracted by distress cries which are emitted by a wounded panda. The concerned youngster rescues not only the panda but her cub as well.
Still puzzled over the answers after a day with unexpected turns and twists, Nikolai looks again for answers from Leo who guides the young quester through the linkages of his day which reveal the importance of now. For instance, Nikolai’s kind action of spontaneously digging the entire garden for Leo caused him to linger longer than expected and thus enabled him to rescue the panda duo. Thus, the three goodness-based questions are correctly answered accordingly:
(1) When is the best time to do things?
- Answer: now
(2) Who is the most important one?
- Answer: the one who is with you now
(3) What is the right thing to do?
- Answer: do good for the one who is with you now
In an Author’s Note, Jon Muth offers interesting explanations of the influences which moved him to create The Three Questions:
- the wise turtle Leo was inspired, of course, by his favorite author Leo Tolstoy;
- his son, Nikolai, modeled for the young quester, who is named for Jon Muth’s son and for Leo Tolstoy’s brother;
- the baby panda was inspired by his daughter Adelaine;
- Sonya the heron honors Leo Tolstoy’s wife;
- Gogol the monkey and Pushkin the dog honor, respectively, Nikolai Gogol (March 31, 1809-March 4, 1852), widely regarded as a gifted short story writer, and Alexander Pushkin (June 6, 1799-February 10, 1837), widely regarded as Russia’s greatest poet.
The Three Questions is a compelling tale of goodness and wisdom, exquisitely illustrated with atmospherically nuanced watercolors, which children of all ages will enjoy and from which inspiration may be derived throughout life.
Copyright: Saturday, June 23, 2012, by Stessily.
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