UNDER THE BLANKET SKY

The enchanted haze of childhood serves as the backdrop for a nostalgia-soaked tale.

One summer morning, a bespectacled, light-skinned child encounters “a strange creature” in the backyard. We see what appears to be a gargantuan fuzzy owlet gazing down at the nameless young narrator, eyes sparkling. The two soon become inseparable, the child showing the newcomer “all my favorite things to do / and places to spend time.” Wordless spread after wordless spread showcases a childhood filled with push-button landline phones, stuffed animals, and toy trucks, all cast in the cozy glow of sun-filtered imagery. The creature looks on as the child wields a sword, draws with sidewalk chalk, and plays with a toy robot; snuggled up against a pillow, the two fall asleep together. We’re deep in “Puff, the Magic Dragon” territory here as autumn arrives and the friend must move on as our hero prepares for the first day of school. Fischer leans heavily on Gen-X wistfulness in his illustrations, conjuring up a world absent of adults or even other people. While the dreamlike art proves to be the true lure, the storytelling rehashes a familiar theme more likely to be appreciated by grown-ups—saying goodbye to a beloved part of childhood on the path to growing up.  (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Sunlight and feathers are the stars of the show, but the intended audience of this story is clearly its adult consumers.