Almond (Raven Summer
) shows his playful side in this story of an urban boy with a large imagination and unconventional neighbors. Paul, who lives in the basement apartment of a high-rise, yearns to touch the sky. He goes on an adventure to the top floor of his building, and on his way up he runs into some unusual residents. One of them, who is pretending (or is she?) to be the identical twin sister of an artist living on the top floor (“I will say that Mabel is on holiday in Barbados, and I have come to look after her apartment while she is away”), proves invaluable in helping Paul fulfill his wish. Then she goes a step further, finding someone who can aid Paul in testing his theory that “the moon is not the moon, but is a hole in the sky.” Adorned with Dunbar's whimsical pencil and ink illustrations, this book is a pleasing mix of silliness and creative thinking. Readers will take delight in meeting offbeat characters and in sharing the young hero's discovery of what lies beyond familiar territory. Ages 8–12. (Apr.)
