From the Polish-born author of Good Morning, Good Night (1993) and When I Open My Eyes (1990) comes this child's fantasy about the unseen life of a neighbor in an upstairs apartment. When the lights go out in his apartment, Phil's mother sends him upstairs to borrow some candles from the mysterious Mr. Hart. Phil obeys with some trepidation but, to his amazement and delight, he discovers that in Mr. Hart's hat there is a magical, circus world filled with lions that jump through burning hoops, a spotted horse that gives rides, hopping rabbits, elephants, trapezes, twinkling stars, and moons of all sizes and colors. Is it a dream or did it really happen? Phil isn't sure, but he knows this much: Now the man upstairs doesn't seem so strange or frightening, and Phil dreams of the day when he can visit him again. A charming if slight story enriched by the illustrations, which have the look of brightly colored felt collages pasted on black backgrounds. (Picture book. 3-7)
