Claude Ponti's gorgeous, deliciously oversized French picture book My Valley may feel to adults like one of those childhood favorites whose illustrations are forever etched in their minds.
In fact, it's difficult to imagine anyone, young or old, able to resist the charms of this inventively imagined valley world and its tiny bear-beaver-monkey hybrids called Twims. Narrated with heart and humor by young Poochie-Blue Twims, the book begins: "This is my valley. I was born in the House Tree on the Blue Cliffs. I'm a Twims. All the Twims live in my valley. It's the most beautiful valley in the world." Lush paintings reveal mountains, a winding river, wildflowers, craggy trees and exposed boulders, and the intricate details invite close scrutiny. My Valley is firstly elaborate world-building; its real storytelling lies in distinct vignettes illuminating aspects of Twims life, such as "The House Tree," a place where every child on Earth would wish to live (big library! trapeze room! swinging bench room! star room!). Then there are the rules, such as "Whenever a Twims makes a wish, he or she goes and sticks a gold leaf on the Singing Stone. When the wind blows in a certain way, the stone sings and the wishes come true. It has been this way since the Goochnies' time. The Goochnies are shy and they look like mushrooms."
Poochie-Blue goes on to matter-of-factly spin fantastical stories about the "Tree of Secrets," how the Blue Cliffs turn blue when it's foggy, "The Very Sad Giant" and "The Theater of Hissy Fits" (where you can shout and stamp your feet). A wonder. --Karin Snelson, freelance writer and editor