In the English translation of Montreal poet Martine Audet’s first picture book (the original, Xavier-la-lune, was a finalist for the 2011 French-language TD Children’s Book Award), Martin is a rosy-cheeked, redheaded boy who is trying to pay attention in class on his first day of school. His efforts are undermined by his imagination, however, and he finds himself reminiscing about people and events that are dear to him. When his teacher brings his focus back down to earth and asks him where he’s been, Martin tells his classmates about his daydreams. Rather than lecturing him, the teacher turns Martin’s flight of fancy into an ice-breaking activity for the students.

Governor General’s Literary Award–winning illustrator Luc Melanson has created childlike images that perfectly match the mood set by Audet’s text. Martin’s colourful daydreams transform his drab, orderly classroom into a riverside vista filled with seagulls; thoughts of his mother’s poetry elicit a rainfall of flowers outside the window; when Martin attempts in vain to concentrate, a giant imaginary moon lands on his desk, obscuring his view of the front of the class. Melanson’s simple and understated artwork expresses Martin’s state of mind, infusing the story with just the right amount of fantasy to bring the boy’s daydreams to life.

This is not a moralistic children’s book; those hoping to find a lesson about the perils of not paying attention in class will be disappointed. Instead, Audet shows how a child’s imagination can be an opportunity for growth and bonding among students in a classroom. This book could be a valuable tool to help adults understand how children learn, and to share with little ones the importance of occasional flights of the imagination.