When it comes to Roger’s imagination, the sky’s the limit – or nearly so, since, as the heroic Captain Kaboodle, he can reach outer space. But when Roger gets his first pair of eyeglasses – a sturdy, sensible pair chosen by his mother – he can’t imagine wearing them. “I don’t need glasses,” he protests. “I’ve got perfect X-ray vision!” Roger takes off, setting the dial of his Blastro-Traveler to the Space Ranger setting, whereupon an alien from the planet Zarfnutt scoops him up. The Zarfnutt creatures, who are multi-eyed, enlist Roger’s help in getting a bulk order of glasses, and in the ensuing space adventure, Roger discovers that his own specs are more useful than he’d imagined.

A couple of years ago, the same author and illustrator team created The Rainmaker, which imparted a similar idea of freedom with its hero’s wanderings, suggesting that a certain amount of distractibility is not only normal and fun, but necessary. Roger Gets Carried Away is an even livelier book, with bolder words and images. Author Barbara Todd, who lives in Nova Scotia, has packed the narrative with active verbs (such as howled and wailed) and exclamations (such as CRUNCH! and SPLATTT!). The acrylic illustrations by Montreal-based artist Rogé are exuberant and funny, with a few puns and retro images that older readers might appreciate, like Mr. Potato Head on an intergalactic billboard. But first and foremost, this is a kids’ book. We see the mother – the only identifiable adult– in a mere two frames, and even then we only see her arms. Otherwise, we stay in the realm of Roger’s imagination, which is a very pleasant place to be.