There are few things as charming as the deeper reaches of a child’s imagination. Quebec illustrator and children’s author Luc Melanson draws on this adorable quality in his newest picture book.

A little boy leads the reader through his imaginary town, where broccoli rains down on umbrellas, chocolate cars have pineapple wheels, and the buildings get up and take a walk whenever they are asked to. The action moves from large to small, from town to neighbourhood to building to apartment, reflecting a child’s need to bring bigger concepts down to a more comfortable level.

But no one believes in the little boy’s upside down world. His sister calls him silly, his aunt chastises him, and his dad just plain ignores him. Thankfully, his mom understands, giving validity to his daydreams and offering a safe set of arms to return to.

Unlike many picture books, the text does not follow any particular rhythm, but reads the way a small child might speak. Sentences are fairly short, and exclamation points feature prominently.

Melanson won the Governor General’s Award in 2002 for his illustration of Le grand voyage de monsieur and was nominated again in 2009 for Olivier Ka’s My Great Big Mamma (in fact, Melanson’s young protagonist bears a strong resemblance to the one in Mamma). His art is obviously the stronger part of this book: the illustrations have enough going on to draw the eye around the page without being overwhelming, and the use of muted colour and bold imagery should appeal to young children.