Atlas of Imaginary Places

Gr 1–3—In this European import, readers are invited to join the author and illustrator on a journey to place where the "real is unreal and everything is upside down." Each oversize spread offers a large, fantastical illustration of a different enchanted locale, accompanied by a paragraph that describes the make-believe world and its denizens, from "the most beautiful of lady giants" with flowing red locks to animals "that change their coats when someone sneezes." The islands surrounding this continent, including a village that rests atop a sleeping whale and those that resemble sweets, proffer flights of the imagination. It's a "Labyrinth of Dreams" that grants those who make it to the summit the possibility of wishes. The detailed line drawings feature a predominately pastel palette with an abundance of sea blues, earthy greens, and bubble-gum pink (a volcano erupts just that), while the endpapers map this surreal setting.