The Tower to the Sun

His imagination once again in overdrive, Thompson (How to Live Forever) takes readers on another full-throttle journey into a fantastical world. He covers no new ground thematically--readers will quickly recognize the dismal future envisioned here, a grimly post-industrial earth covered by a blanket of smog, from innumerable science fiction movies--but his visual images are as startling as ever. Here, ""the richest man in the world"" reminisces to his grandson about the way things used to be and confides his dearest wish (""I'd give anything to see the sun once more""). Together, the two of them try to fulfill that wish, first by balloon (a bust), then by spending all of the old man's resources in building a tower so high it pierces the cloud cover. The resulting structure starts out looking like the Tower of Babel but evolves into an intricately helter-skelter patchwork of familiar landmarks gleefully pilfered from the world's collective architectural consciousness. Readers (not to mention adults) will have fun spotting half-timbered Tudor cottages, Ayers Rock, a lighthouse, New York's Chrysler Building, Stonehenge, an igloo and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, to name just a few. As always, there's an accompanying pastiche of clever visual touches--the ""Cafe Max"" crops up in just about every layout, a la Where's Waldo?, and there's an intriguing assortment of flora, fauna and other oddities. With its rich visual tapestry, a subtle message about what constitutes real wealth and an upbeat ending, this one's a crowd-pleaser. All ages. (Apr.)