The Way Back Home, written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, is the most randomly appealing book I've read. For one thing, the main character discovers an airplane in his closet on the second page. For another, he gets stuck on the moon with a Martian who looks just like him, only green.
And finally, after he parachutes back to Earth and swims home, he almost forgets to go back to help the Martian because he's distracted by the television. There's a surprise ending that had my daughter and I discussing possible storylines for as long as it took for the children's meal to arrive. Less to carry into the restaurant = bonus points.
