The Land of Neverbelieve

The Cutlery Tree, Sky Travelers, the Lurking Otter, and the Sawbill Bird all live in the Land of Neverbelieve, a lush, green island Messenger (Imagine) says he encountered while “quietly puttering about at sea” in his boat. The island, he explains, periodically sprouts a pair of legs and relocates itself; this is why its residents dare not leave it, for fear that it will be gone when they return. Working along the lines of a visual encyclopedia or a guidebook to this imaginary land, Messenger uses delicate clouds of pencil and watercolor to draw the island’s trees (the Forgetful Tree “does not remember to produce branches or leaves”), scary fastnesses (the Spooky Dark Mountains), inhabitants (“friendly, gentle, and doll-like in stature”), and amusements (metamorphosing creatures that “transform, link, and stand upside down”). Every page is crammed with information and images; most have gatefolds with yet more fantastical creatures and outlandish details. “You would never believe...” read the introductions to several sections, echoing the title. The Land of Neverbelieve may wander, but fortunately the book can be returned to again and again. Ages 7–up. (Oct.)