SOLVED. Children's Optical Illusion Adventure Book follows a clown all in white with puff balls on his conical hat who navigates this world of illusions, with skies full of flying fish and a city with buildings that don't follow the laws of physics. [s]

[Nathan]

This has been niggling at me for a while, and after more than 4 hours of searching online I decided to get some help.

It is a children's picture book, filled with optical illusions. It follows a clown all in white with puff balls on his conical hat who navigates this world of illusions, with skies full of flying fish and a city with buildings that don't follow the laws of physics.

The mobile game Monument Valley gives me huge flashbacks to this book.

The cover is, I think, the clown riding a flying fish into the distance, or he is walking into the distance on a road heading towards a surreal city, with flying fish in the sky in the background.

I remember reading it in my elementary school's library. This would have been between the years of 1997 and 2003.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Ayshe]

Is it What's Wrong with This Book? by Richard McGuire?

[Nathan]

No, that's not it unfortunately. Too colorful and cartoony.
The book I'm thinking of was more realistic in style. And the main character most definitely had a conical hat with puff balls on it.

And the fish was flying sliced up. Like it was in sections. And drawn 3D.

[Nathan]

The book had art similar to this:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ed/3f/...

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/46/f5/56/46...

Things clown making his way through a beautifully realized world of illusion and weird geometry. Three city skyscrapers rising up off of only two bases, etc. And each scene was full of noise, with weird surreal creatures like that cross see toned fish I mentioned populating the city.

[Nathan]

The book's art is very similar to that of Rob Gonsalves. Who made the pictures I posted above.
But I checked, and he didn't write the book I'm thinking of.

[Kris]

What's Wrong with This Book? by Richard McGuire?

Some reviewers say: "Theme(s): Optical illusions, shape, direction, size, clowns" | "Many of the illustrations feature die-cut holes offering sneaky previews of images on the succeeding page, which, when the page is turned, are revealed to be something weirdly geometric and--well, unexpected! The recurring figure of a bewildered-looking clown provides a surrogate for the reader and brings some coherence to the clever and comical confusion."

Google search -- site:www.goodreads.com "picture book" "optical illusions" clown

EDIT: The art isn't similar to Rob Gonsalves' detailed, painterly style. The simple graphics are closer to the Monument Valley game.

[Adele]

I think this is it. There's a clown riding on a flying fish anyway: The 9 Tasks of Mistry: An Adventure in the World of Illusion

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Nathan, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Nathan]

Hey! Yes! Sorry, Adele got it right! It is the 9 tasks of Mistry!

[Nathan]

I seem to have been wrong about the cover. My bad 😅

[Kris]

Great! Glad you found your book, Nathan. Thanks for the update.