Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

Summary:  The artist calls these “illustrations for stories that do not exist”.  Each painting is accompanied by a sentence or two scribbled on the back of an envelope or other scrap of paper.  A monkey holding a key: “Ask the monkey what he knows.” A girl sitting by a stream surrounded by animals: “The paradise was different depending on who found it.”  A mermaid sitting on a rock: “She never told anyone what she saw at the edge of the world.” The author finishes with a brief note telling how these works chronicle the process of becoming herself and inviting the reader to join her on her journey.  80 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  An amazing tool to unlock the imagination.  This reminded me of The Mysteries of Harrison Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg.  Just paging through fires up the imagination; or one could choose one illustration and use it to inspire writing or other art.

Cons:  This book definitely defies categorization.  It seems like a picture book, but the usual picture book crowd would definitely find it puzzling.

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