cover image Rocket Boy

Rocket Boy

Damon Lehrer. Godine, $17.95 (36p) ISBN 978-1-56792-587-6

In Lehrer’s wordless debut, a curly-headed boy labors over a drawing of a rocket. Suddenly, the rocket emerges from the paper, blasts off from the page, and zips out the window. The boy, who seems only mildly surprised, sets about drawing himself a sleek sports car; it, too, becomes real, and the boy takes off in it after his rocket. A journey through a mysterious passage takes him to another world, where he finds a proud, independent girl and a menagerie of beasts who help him find his rocket. Readers later see the boy awaken in bed with his toy car and rocket at his feet, suggesting it was all a dream. The meticulously drafted pencil spreads recall the sorts of visual adventures found in Chris Van Allsburg’s books, and Lehrer’s self-referential story also salutes the power of drawing. The boy’s dream expresses his wish to draw more beautifully (the boy’s skill level in the opening scenes far outpaces his age, sketches from classical masterpieces are scattered across the floor), and the final spread hints that he is a bit closer to his goal. Ages 3–6. (Dec.)