PUTTING QUESTIONS TO WORK

By Helen Taylor

Asking questions is fundamental to researching and writing books—especially nonfiction books. Our queries lead us to new sources, reveal juicy details, and so on. But here, I want to focus on a different set of questions—the ones that make it into finished books.

Every sentence has to work hard to earn its place on the page, and questions are no exception. Whether they just pop into your head while writing, or are added with intention, questions can serve a number of different roles in a nonfiction manuscript. For this post, I started by brainstorming a list of the roles I thought I’d see, but it wasn’t until I started reading with my antenna tuned into this idea that I realized just how many “jobs” questions can do. Here are some of my favorites:

Forecaster: The opening spread of VOLCANOES, written by Nell Cross Beckerman and
illustrated by Kalen Chok, states, “Plates shift. Land tilts. Gas seeps,” then asks, “What is
coming?” This question encourages the reader to make a prediction and builds tension for the
(spoiler alert!) volcanic eruption to come.

Dancer: Questions can help writers dance around an unknown while staying accurate. In NARWHAL: UNICORN OF THE ARCTIC, written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Deena So’Oteh, two narwhals cross tusks in one scene. The text reads “Are you playing? Fighting? Showing off for a female?” In the backmatter, we learn that scientists still aren’t sure about the purpose(s) narwhals’ tusks serve, but that “showing off” is the leading theory. 

Stunt Double: These questions stand in for a theory or thought process. In my own book,
CHASING GUANO: THE DISCOVERY OF A PENGUIN SUPERCOLONY, I use a series of
simple questions, “How big is this colony? How long has it been there? Is it shrinking too?” to
summarize the scientists’ growing interest in investigating the remote Danger Islands.

Tour Guide: Questions can also keep readers engaged, essentially saying, But wait... there’s
more! In THE GREAT LAKES: OUR FRESHWATER TREASURE, written by Barb Rosenstock and illustrated by Jamey Christoph, there’s a spread in which readers imagine they’re a drop of water traveling through the lakes. Upon reaching Lake Erie, the question, “Is your trip over?” and its answer, “No!” keep us moving and tee up a big moment to come.

In ALMOST UNDERWEAR: HOW A PIECE OF CLOTH TRAVELED FROM KITTY HAWK TO THE MOON AND MARS, Jonathan Roth navigates big transitions with the page-turner questions, “Or was it?” (transitioning from Kitty Hawk to the Moon) and, “Now where?” (from the Moon to Mars).

Casting Director: The text of HOW TO EAT IN SPACE, written by me and illustrated by Stevie Lewis, addresses the reader as if they were an astronaut newly arrived at the space station. Early on, I introduce the menu this way: “Feel like oatmeal? A smoothie? Scrambled eggs? Help yourself. You have hundreds of items to choose from.” This approach gives a flavor (ha!) of the menu’s range, while also helping cast the reader in their role as astronaut.

Interviewer: GOOD EATING: THE SHORT LIFE OF KRILL, written by Matt Lilley and illustrated by Dan Tavis, reads like a casual conversation. The text directly addresses its
subject—krill—with a mix of statements and questions, beginning with, “Hey egg. What are you doing? Are you sinking?” Later questions, such as, “How are you doing all this growing without eating?” explore other stages of krill’s life cycle.

Gardener: In THOMAS JEFFERSON’S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE: BIAS, TRUTH, AND A
MIGHTY MOOSE!, written by Beth Anderson and illustrated by Jeremy Holmes, questions plant seeds in the reader’s mind when Anderson answers one question, “How did Buffon come up with his theory of an inferior America?” with three more: “Did he use faulty facts? Did he pick and choose evidence to fit his own beliefs? Did his love for Europe get in the way?” What a kid- friendly way to introduce the concept of bias!

This is in no way an official or complete list, but I hope it sparks some new thoughts about what you’re reading and writing. What other jobs do you see questions doing in nonfiction books? What title would you give to a question that conveys stakes, casts doubt, or reframes an issue? Do you have a “job opening” in your own story that a well-qualified question could fill? Are the questions in your WIP in the right role(s) or are they perhaps ready for a promotion?

Helen Taylor

Helen Taylor writes books that inspire kids to wonder about their world in new ways. Her nonfiction books HOW TO EAT IN SPACE and CHASING GUANO are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections. Her first fictional picture book, SLOTH & MOTH, is due out in spring 2026. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, baking, and searching for banana slugs in the redwoods near her home in Santa Cruz, California.