The Book of Dreams

PreS—This bedtime book examines the universal concept of dreams, and the artwork is its true strength. Adl, who has also illustrated Let's Celebrate: Festival Poems from Around the World (Frances Lincoln, 2012), uses basic declarative sentences, such as "Some dreams are nice and simple," but does not elucidate much beyond her statements. It will be individual conversations between readers and listeners that extend the book further. The attractive illustrations rendered in watercolor and collage with pencil are worth closer scrutiny by youngsters because of the wide variety of textures that Adl employs. The use of black and red facelike shapes used to represent scary dreams evokes quite a different emotion than the previous pages of cheery pinks, reds, blues, and greens. Textlines in various fonts wave up and down and around, reminiscent of dreamlike qualities. An additional purchase.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA