One of my city's local newspapers recommended this book a few weeks ago, and it sounded intriguing. Subtitled "A Visual Novel," it's something of a departure from the comic book-styled "graphic novels" I read a lot of. Basically, it's a small novel, with illustrations on each page that enrich the story by bringing greater meaning to the sometimes sketchy prose.

Tom Corwin's story introduces us to Mr. Fooster, who seems like an everyday kind of guy--maybe a little old fashioned. The book starts with Mr. Fooster leaving his house for a walk one Tuesday morning--fairly unremarkable--with nowhere in particular in mind. As he walks, his mind starts to ponder the Mysteries of the World. Things like "How come mandarin oranges come in perfect little segments without any mechanical engineering?" and "How come you never see baby pigeons?" As Fooster walks along, he comes across a katydid...who smiles at him. Later on, he has another run-in with an enormous insect who threatens to eat Mr. Fooster, but instead of being enemies, Mr. Fooster finds an unlikely way to befriend the big bug.

The book is whimsical, and takes us through several months with Mr. Fooster, and his adventures are sometimes gentle and often silly. The message of the book, if there is one, seems to be that things aren't always what they seem, and taking time to ponder the little things in life can be rewarding. As Mr. Fooster lets his imagination take flight, we see the world around him transform--soap bubbles into DeSotos, people into trees, enemies into friends.

The illustrations by Craig Frazier are done in brown ink and are the perfect complement to Corwin's text. They keep Mr. Fooster's face in shadow most of the time, and Frazier's graphic design background is clear in the placement of the characters in the scenes. Each page could be framed, and a story told about each picture. They have a rich, haunting quality that nevertheless has a tangy humor about them that kept me chuckling throughout the book.

This is a quick read that celebrates a free spirit. If you're feeling like you've been too serious for some time, and you need to find a way to connect with that inner child or just need to slow down for a bit, this is the book for you. It reminded me of people I know who are a bit less tightly-wound than me, and yet it was never irresponsible or annoying. If it's been a while since you've blown a soap bubble, it's time you picked up Mr. Fooster: Traveling on a Whim.

You can read more about the book at http://www.mrfooster.com.