Some people like to read books; others prefer to play with them. The transformation of reading material into beautiful, sometimes bizarre objects is the subject of a fascinating exhibition at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, “Book Becoming Art.”

Running until April 27, the show presents about 40 handmade books from contemporary artists who are working in the Japanese aesthetic. (Many are actually from Japan.) There’s Yohei Nishimura, who subjects his materials to extreme heat to reveal hidden qualities. Here he offers a version of Webster’s Third New International Dictionary that looks like it’s arrived from the fires of hell. Veronika Schäpers infuses her books with the essence of Japanese street food; Kyoko Matsunaga paints over photos in white pigment to give a sense of awe and rebirth; and Hiroko Fukumoto turned a paperback book into a living mushroom farm.

Presiding over the exhibit (literally) is Maki Aizawa’s free-form “book” made from pieces of mulberry paper, stitched by 35 women in her hometown in the wake a devastating earthquake and tsunami. You might not be able to read it in the traditional sense, but it speaks volumes about the human condition.

Details: Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday at 551 Broadway, Sonoma; $10 general admission (free on Wednesday), svma.org/visit/