Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

February 16, 2004
Unlike many well-known interpretations of Field's classic poem, McPhail's (Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore!
) version of this perennial favorite emphasizes the book's original purpose as a lullaby sung by a parent to a child. Idyllic and tranquil, the pictures seem both familiar and comforting. The famous fishermen themselves look a lot like Beatrix Potter rabbits and are virtually indistinguishable from each other except for their costumes. The child to whom the "mother" (the parent here looks like a child herself) sings resembles a 1930s porcelain doll, with a pageboy haircut and glassy blue eyes. McPhail ties the story about the fisherman, the moon and the catching of herring-fish stars to the child's room by having the bunnies in the story pour out their pastel stars on top of her trundle bed, where they form a star pattern on her quilt. As the narrator explains the meaning of the characters' names, readers can see the bunny ears of the child's three stuffed animals peeking out from beneath the quilt. A final image of the wooden shoe boat floating out the window suggests that the child is about to dream the story as she sleeps. A peaceful, soothing interpretation that will appeal to those looking to re-create a world of innocence. All ages.

September 4, 1995
Inspired by Field's bedtime poem with its night sky of ``twinkling foam,'' Westerman (The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat) conjures forth an eerie, luminous sea- and skyscape, aglitter with splendid silver ``herring fish'' stars. Three children and their cat enact the roles of Field's fishermen as they sail off in a wooden shoe boat, its sail made from a patched sheet. While not surrealistic, the characters and setting are thoroughly dreamlike. The artist's predominantly blue-green palette influences not only the pictures of the sea and moon, but also the children's faces. They stare like ghostly sleepwalkers, their countenances reflecting the blue of the sky, while the crater-mottled moon floats off through the sea's ruffled waves. The night-as-sea illustrations echo the imagery of the text, but Westerman adds more action with the children returning home, anchoring their boat to the chimney and climbing through a gabled window to their bed. Westerman's inventive design elements (the real bedroom's quilt and decor are similar to the visual motifs in the dreamscape) provide a soothing accompaniment for the familiar text, a staple for bedtime reading. Ages 3-6.

Starred review from July 1, 2008
PreS-Gr 2-Potter's fanciful, artistic interpretation is ideal for this 19th-century poem about the wistful place between sleep and dreams. Wynken, Blynken, and Nod are portrayed as three young boys in matching green pajamas, wooden shoes, and red hats. They embark in their vessel, a large wooden shoe, and sail ."..on a river of crystal light, /Into a sea of dew." Sea and sky flow into one another and soon the lads are speeding through the air, where the "little stars" are "herring fish" and the young fishermen cast their nets. The wooden shoe brings them home, where readers learn that the episode is a lullaby sung by a mother to her son who is tucked in bed, snug in his green pajamas with his toy fish. Done in Potter's characteristic style, each spread is a dreamy still life; the mixed-media paintings are drenched in the calming blues of the sea and sky, and the muted hues lend a soporific tone. There is an otherworldly quality to the artwork, and a note describes why the illustrator was attracted to this poem. Share this vividly imagined book with youngsters who need a little help gaining entry to the world of dreams."Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.