
Reach for this book when your child expresses anxiety about the future or feels overwhelmed by the 'scary' things they hear on the news. It is the perfect antidote to the 'gloom and doom' narrative, offering a lighthearted but profound shift in perspective for children aged 5 to 9. Through the lens of a young girl and her wise grandfather, the story dismantles the idea that the future is limited to just two scary choices. Instead, it introduces a world of infinite possibilities. By centering on imagination and agency, Shinsuke Yoshitake empowers children to see themselves as active participants in creating what comes next. Whether your child is a natural worrier or just beginning to ask big questions about the world, this book provides a playful framework for optimism. It normalizes the feeling of being overwhelmed while gently guiding the reader toward curiosity and creative problem-solving.
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Sign in to write a reviewThe book mentions 'wars' and 'scary diseases' as things people worry about. These are handled directly but briefly, acting as the catalyst for the girl's anxiety. The approach is entirely secular and grounded in the power of human imagination.
A 7-year-old who has overheard a dinner table conversation about climate change or politics and has started asking, 'What's going to happen to me?' It's for the child who needs permission to stop worrying about the 'end of the world' and start thinking about the 'variety of the world.'
Read it cold, but be prepared for your child to ask which future YOU think is going to happen. The minimalist, manga-style art is very accessible but contains many small details worth pausing to look at. A child asking, 'Is the world going to end?' or saying, 'I don't want to grow up because it looks scary.'
A 5-year-old will delight in the silly drawings (like the boiled egg future). An 8 or 9-year-old will grasp the deeper philosophical argument: that the 'binary' choices presented by others are often false.
Most books about 'the future' are either dystopian or overly saccharine. This book is unique for its absurdist humor and its specific focus on 'possibility' rather than 'prediction.' It teaches a mental framework for resisting pessimism.
After an older brother tells his sister the world is headed for disaster (epidemics, war, climate change), the girl runs to her grandfather in a panic. Her grandfather reassures her that adults love to talk about 'only two choices,' but the future is actually full of endless options. They spend the book imagining ridiculous and wonderful possibilities for food, clothing, and technology, shifting the focus from fear to creative potential.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.