THE JOURNEY HOME
by Alison Lester & illustrated by Alison Lester
Digging a huge hole in their sandpit, two Australian kids fall in and come out at the North Pole. Their homecoming is a picaresque journey through storyland, with stops to see Santa, the Good Fairy, Prince Charming, a mermaid's cave, etc. As cozy reminiscence or as introduction to literature's basics (tiny images of stock items like a pirate's eye-patch and a gypsy's orb suggest concept-building), a beguilingly childlike survey; the precise illustrations have an appealing blend of humor and charm. (Picture book. 4-8)