CLOUDLAND

A typical Burningham dreamer falls from the land of childhood into Cloudland; when he returns home he forever after longs for another taste of the land beyond. When Albert freefalls off a cliff while hiking with his parents, he's rescued by cloud children who see him falling and utter one of several delightfully nonsensical incantations. In a twist on the angels-bowling-in-heaven explanation for natural wonders, the cloud children play jumping games, make as much noise as they can when it thunders, dance with lightning, and paint with rainbows as inspiration. Burningham's characteristically breezy pen-and-ink illustrations are airborne here. Loosely sketched, cut-out figures of children are superimposed against actual full-color photographs of magnificent cloudscapes, sky scenes, and sunsets, ingeniously—and appropriately—juxtaposing realism with imagination. A matter-of-fact tone and economy of words, in combination with whimsical illustrations, create a buoyant, high-flying fantasy greater than the sum of its parts. Winsomely sure-footed. (Picture book. 4-8)