Each of the paintings in this companion to Imagine a Place stretches the imagination by transforming one view, or one object, into something entirely different. Piles of autumn leaves transform into monarch butterflies and fly off the edge of the painting. Cobblestones become rooftops. The trite text is incidental and does little to augment the surreal paintings. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

K-Gr 4-This is the fourth title in Gonsalves's series, and it lives up to its predecessors. The author/illustrator draws readers into the world of his imagination with a compelling invitation: "Imagine a world.." There is great detail in the exquisite paintings for children to explore, yet the style of the art enables them to interpret the deeper meaning for themselves. Each spread of verse and picture presents an entirely new adventure for viewers, and though the book is finite, it makes clear that the world of one's imagination is infinite. The influence of René Magritte's surrealism can be seen in the paintings, as one image forms another: curtains becoming sky, arithmetic equations becoming stars, books becoming steps, and the froth on waves becoming snow on a mountain. Gonsalves also incorporates Escher-like illusions: stepping stones morph into wall stones, and a red brick path morphs into red roofed houses. The text is just as powerful as the art, evoking the illustrations and extending readers' imaginations. This book is very versatile. It can be used to encourage creativity and critical thinking and can also be a contemplative read in which children get lost in all the worlds of possibility. VERDICT An excellent purchase that will enchant both reluctant and enthusiastic readers.-Gretchen Crowley, Alexandria City Public Libraries, VA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gonsalves follows previous books like Imagine a Place and Imagine a Night with another showcase for his substantial visual talents. Each lush acrylic painting presents an alluring optical illusion-sometimes two or three. In one scene, a boy sets toy boats out to sea; the boats become real vessels, while white-capped waves turn into snow-capped peaks, marooning one boat. The text tends toward the blandly inspirational ("imagine a world... where you're invited/ to step out of your solitude/ and join in the joy that you make"), and while each individual image is a stunner taken on its own, a certain sameness starts to set in (trees, stalactites, books, cakes, and bricks all transform into cityscapes at various points) when viewed together. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Imagine a new gallery of technically adroit paintings featuring M.C. Escher-like shifts in images and perspective: Gonsalves' fourth, and first solo, pictorial outing. The artist has one main idea, and from Imagine a Night (2003) on, he's worked it thoroughly. Each scene begins at one edge with a realistic outdoor or interior view containing one or two elements that shift in either gradual or sudden transitions as the eye moves across. Here, clouds become mountains or whole continents, for instance, fallen autumn leaves are transformed to swirls of monarch butterflies, a row of open books becomes a row of doorways, and a high waterfall is a troupe of lithe Martha Graham-style dancers by the time it reaches the bottom. He tucks human figures of diverse ages (almost all Caucasian), including several self-portraits, into the paintings. Here, for a new wrinkle, he provides his own one-sentence captions, written in the same vein as Sarah Thomson's lyrical comments in previous outings: "imagine a world / where the beauty that has fallen / can find a way to fly."It may be interchangeable with its three predecessors, but it still provides peaceful, gently unsettling visions for young dreamers. (Picture book. 7-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.