An Awesome Book!

PreS-Gr 2—This exuberantly written and illustrated book about dreaming big was originally self-published. Although it is longer than the usual picture book, the sparely written, well-cadenced, rhyming text lends itself effortlessly to an engaging read-aloud. ("Then once you've got that dream/in mind please dream a million more/and not a million quiet dreams/a million dreams that ROAR.") Quirky, finely detailed full-color pen-and-ink illustrations depict "candy cane machines," "magic watermelon boats," "dancing wild animals with diamond-coated wings," and a host of other fantastically fun and silly imaginings. The large, shadowed font adds texture, emphasis, and pizzazz to the visually diverse spreads. Not only is this joyful offering a surefire read-aloud hit, but it will equally engage young children singly or for lapsits as they pore over the entertaining minutiae in the artwork.—Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT