In a sort of digital age Arabian Nights, the characters of Salmon Rushdie's new novel float, regenerate, and climb to new levels in a video game-like atmosphere. In this story inspired by his son, Rushdie follows a young boy's quest to save his father. On his mission, the youngster is aided, abetted, and distracted by a wild menagerie of supporting characters, including hybrid bird-elephants, a dog named Bear, a bear named Dog, a princess with a flying carpet, and habitual litterer otters. An imaginative excursion.