In the tradition of books that invite readers to locate tiny objects in big pictures, Dematons (Worry Bear
) creates a wordless journey around the world in pursuit of a drifting yellow balloon. In the first of 16 full-bleed spreads, a man in a blue station wagon sets off on a vacation; the balloon sails aloft as he gasses up for the trip. Each successive spread shows the balloon soaring over a new part of the world: a European capital, the African savanna, the high seas, the rain forest. Dematons renders her minute scenes with dabs of color and small brushstrokes rather than depending on ink lines for tiny touches. Historical and geographical accuracy go the way of the yellow balloon: knights fight each other next door to bulldozers, and aircraft carriers surprise battling pirate galleons. Representations of foreign cultures conform to type: Hawaiian maidens do the hula, and Africans wearing masks dance near thatched huts. Novelty comes instead from legendary characters who pop up in unexpected places (e.g., Red Riding Hood meets the wolf near a forest; Santa Claus approaches his sleigh not far from the iceberg that has sunk the Titanic
), and from subplots that continue across several panels. In the end, the yellow balloon is restored to its owner, while an Arabian man on a flying carpet, a convict and a truckful of giraffes who have entered the story along the way find safe harbor, too. A delightful ride for armchair travelers. All ages. (Apr.)
