Come Back Soon

Upon arrival in Icetown for the dedication of the ambitious Hotel Penguin%E2%80%94a building he himself designed%E2%80%94Elephant accidentally falls and crushes the building, which is built out of snow, shaped like a giant penguin and boasts a grand lobby and sweeping staircases. Rebuilding is speedily accomplished, though, and the penguin citizenry's enthusiasm for Elephant is undimmed. Icetown has a distinctly Japanese atmosphere; the restaurant Elephant visits serves ramen noodles and has vertical signs like a Tokyo noodle shop ("Make that twenty-seven more bowls, please," Elephant says). Populated by hundreds of penguins above and dozens of whales below, who avail themselves of services like toys, massages and employment advice, Schallau's (The Traveler: A Magical Journey) Icetown contains a multitude of inventive pleasures. The general level of civility recalls the world of Babar, but the elaborate yet always readable spreads are distinctly Schallau's own. Though the narrative is quite scattershot in nature, the complete, freestanding visual universe Schallau creates compels close inspection. Ages 3%E2%80%947. (Sept.)