LOOKING FOR ATLANTIS

The tale announcing the theme is quickly told: The ten-year- old narrator's grandfather returns from a life at sea to tell of fabulous Atlantis, to be found in his sea chest along with ``Everything you could ever want...if you know where to look for it''; then he sets out ``on his final voyage, across a sea of dreams.'' Grieving but curious, the boy explores from the attic down. In the end he understands that ``hopes and dreams are not just inside your head, and that I could keep Atlantis and Grandfather in my heart forever.'' Meanwhile, unseen by the boy, worlds within worlds swarm in Thompson's intricate surreal art- -quaint houses and fanciful populations tucked into bookcases or peering from under rugs, fish flying in a window and into a TV, outdoor vistas springing from indoor furniture while book titles and labels pun or philosophize in every cranny. Captivating. (Picture book. 5+)