Only Fish Fall from the Sky

On the opening page of Parsons’s debut, a boy stretches luxuriously. “When I woke up,” he says, “I remembered I had the strangest dream. I dreamt that water fell from the sky.” On the right-hand page, a huge fish hurtles downward. “How ridiculous,” the boy continues. “Everyone knows only fish fall from the sky.” The spread that follows makes the point as dozens of fish pour down on a dense agglomeration of buildings, vehicles, and pedestrians whose upside-down umbrellas are perfect for catching them. This is the book’s running gag—the boy’s dream world is our humdrum reality, while what’s ordinary in his world is surreal in ours. A spectacles-wearing squirrel writes in a workbook (“Why wouldn’t everyone want to go to school?), and a lemur pirouettes with a hot dog (“Everyone knows, it is only polite to dance at dinner”). The story’s final pages slip the boy gently back into (our) world. The first reading will offer giggles, while Parson’s jam-packed pages supply a stream of details for subsequent viewings. Ages 3–7. (May)