Long ...

A young Twims child, Poochie-Blue, introduces the reader to his beautiful valley home in this magnificently inventive picture-book fantasy. From his own family's home in The House Tree to the spooky but somehow cute Forest of Lost Children, from the story of The Children Who Fell from the Sky to the tale of The Very Sad Giant, the wonderful world of the Twims is chronicled in great textual and visual detail. The passing of the seasons, the beauties of the natural world, the gentle and loving society of the little Twims, all are set out by Poochie-Blue.

Originally published in France as Ma vallée, and just recently translated into English by Alyson Waters, My Valley is one of the debut titles from Elsewhere Editions, the new children's imprint of the Brooklyn-based Archipelago Books, intended to bring "visionary picture-books from around the world" to the American market. How glad I am that I have discovered Elsewhere Editions, and the work of Claude Ponti! I found this book utterly charming, and think that I would have adored its little-world-in-miniature as a girl. The artwork is beautiful, and the story endlessly inventive. There are many news names - of both characters and places - to contend with in this book, but fortunately there is a map that will allow the reader to situate each new mini-chapter of the story. I'd love to know if Ponti wrote more about the Twims, or if this was a one-off. Either way, it was a pleasure to peruse. Recommended to anyone looking for entertaining works of fantasy for the older picture-book set, or for those interested in children's books in translation. For my part, I will be looking for more book from Elsewhere Editions... ( )