An Awesome Book!

February 1, 2012
An earnest invitation to dream big, dude, and then bigger yet. Self-published in 2009 and gone viral in both print and free online versions, Clayton's inspirational litany decries "un-fantastical and practical" dreams in favor of those "that no one thought to wonder / dreams so big that they've got dreams and they've got dreams up under!" His hand lettered, all-uppercase lines caption equally emphatic full-bleed cartoon scenes that contrast views of slump-shouldered, Roz Chast-style underachievers with dizzying retro sprays of surreal exuberance. The art sometimes undermines the message--dreams that "scream," "sing" and "shout," for instance, are all represented by similarly bellowing monsters, while the supposedly drab dream of "buying a new hat" is expressed visually with a wild, full-page blizzard of different kinds of headgear. Moreover, the metrics are clumsy at best (."..remember what I said / 'Close your eyes my child / and dream / that perfect dream / inside your head' "), and those reading it aloud will have a very difficult time navigating the almost punctuation-free text. Nevertheless, it's a worthy effort to prod children (and adults, for that matter) out of mental ruts. Or at least crank their aspirations up a notch. Share with your kid, or lay it on a new grad or parental unit for some literary feel-good action. (Picture book. 6-8, adult)

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May 1, 2012

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

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2012
Preschool-G Written for Clayton's newborn son and self-published in 2008and subsequently hyped by Hollywood trendsettersthis exuberant picture book is getting its first wide-scale exposure. With a definite Seussian slant, Clayton's repeated refrains to dream big counterpoint the amazingness of kid imaginations (where rocket-powered unicorns rub elbows with teeny tiny trumpet players / training pet raccoons ) with the drabness of adults who lay awake at night / wishing for a car / not one that runs on jellybeans . . . / but one that's reg-u-lar. Though it doesn't go in any particularly new directions, it's an uncomplicated sentiment and one that probably can't be stressed enough. The real treat is Clayton's artwork, which has a kookily offbeat, abundantly cheerful feel that may inspire adult readers as much as their young listeners. In fact, while this is fine for young children, like Oh, the Places You'll Go! (1990), it may well find a happier home as an inspirational nudge for kids of all ages to keep thinking big and bold and weird.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)