Flying

Though thin on narrative and forbiddingly priced, this striking picture book is worth a look for the visual jolt it delivers. Pacovska's singular artistic style-a sort of post-modern naive-combines kindergarten-like pencil drawings of chunky creatures with an arresting patchwork of colors. But wait, that's not all: there are die-cuts, shiny overlays and 3D fold-outs, too-even a recipe for soup. The plot, such as it is, has one tower whispering a secret to another, thus spawning a frenzy of flying. Not a candidate for a read-alone, as the hand-lettered text can be difficult even for an adult to decipher, this is more of an art experience in hardcovers than a story. Ages 5-8. (Nov.)