Fun kids' book with art reminiscent of early Golden Age books yet cleaner & clearer ( )

Jack wakes up to another perfect day in this humorous confection of a picture-book, displaying many superhero qualities - battling aliens intent on conquest, saving a derailed train - on his way in to his job as an ice-cream taste tester. But on his way home, everything starts to go wrong, as our hero suddenly finds himself dressed like a baby, and driving a tricycle. What could have happened? A helpful little boy suggests he is dreaming, and advises him to wake up. But can he...?

Although first published in 2002, Another Perfect Day has a distinct vintage feel to it, hearkening back, in its stylized illustrations, to Golden Age comic-book artwork. The story is humorous and quite surreal, feeling a little random at first, until you realize that it is all part of a dream. The final scenes, in which the real Jack is revealed, explain a lot about what made up his "perfect" day, and what was considered a catastrophe. I enjoyed this one, and would recommend it to anyone looking for picture-books about dreams and/or superheroes, or that have a somewhat surreal sensibility. ( )