Just a Dream

This book surpasses the racism and stereotypes that undermine much of what children's literature has been in the past. It takes children on a ride through dreams and brings them to the realization that our environment is ours to take care of. The beautiful illustrations are used in a creative manner as to allow the children to explore prediction of what will happen next in the story. This book is for young and old alike and should be a staple in all children's classrooms.

Have you ever wanted to see what the world is like in the future? Well some people might not be ready to see it. This story shows how the earth has to be protected by everyone. Walter is a young boy that doesn't care much about the earth. One day he has a donut bag that he tosses on a fire hydrant. That night he is watching a TV show about a boy in the future. He sees that people will have little planes and robots. So that night he has a dream, his bed takes him years into the future. He finds that the world will be totally different. Walter notices that trees need to be protected because they are being cut down for wrong purposes. Walter finds out about what pollution does to the world. And Walter witnesses advances in science. Walter's bed takes him back to the present. Walter decides that he wants to make the world a better place. And for his birthday he gets a small tree like his neighbor got for her birthday. Then that night his bed takes him away, to the future, again. I thought the book was interesting because a boy who doesn't think much about the world sees what the world will be like if it is not protected. It was cool that he was moved by what he had seen. And I think I would have tried to clean up too.

This is my FAVORITE children's environmental book. Chris Van Allsburg's illustrations are fabulous, as always, and greatly add to the drama of the story. I am an environmental educator and read this book to students (5th-6th grade) at the end of every week at outdoor school. This is a great book to read aloud, especially because of the way the illustrations are separate from the text. What I love about this book is that it is in the end very hopeful. Walter's first dreams of the future show a world of great environmental problems, based on his actions of not caring in the present; but when he changes his ways, the future changes also. I like to emphasize this when reading it to students: The future is not written yet, but we are creating it every day with the choices we make. This is definitely a children's environmental literature classic, along with Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax" and Lynne Cherry's "The Great Kapok Tree," but is even better for older children.

AT EIGHTEEN THIS IS STILL AT THE TOP OF MY "YOU MUST OWN THIS BOOK" LIST. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE GENERATIONS TO COME LEARN OF WHAT ENVIRONMENTAL NIGHTMARES ARE GOING ON AROUND THEM AND WHAT THEY CAN DO TO HELP. WE TELL CHILDREN WHAT THEY CAN DO WHEN IT'S TOO LATE AND WHEN THEY HAVE GROWN TOO APATHETIC. THIS BOOK IS AN EXCELLENT TOOL FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS TO HELP PREVENT THEIR CHILDREN FROM FALLING INTO THIS TRAP. VAN ALLSBURG'S AMAZING WORDS AND ILLISTARATIONS WILL KEEP ANYONE SPELLBOUND AMD CATALYSE A DESIRE TO HELP. WE MUST ENGAGE THOSE WHO ARE SOON TO BE THE ADULTS OF OUR SOCIETY IN ACTIONS THAT WILL MAKE FOR A BETTER, CLEANER, AND HEALTIER EARTH; THIS BOOK WILL HELP!

As a second grade teacher, I was able to teach the importance of recycling and respecting mother earth with this story. The children were captivated by the book and many picked up trash later on the playground. I have even noticed less trash and more recycled goods in the classroom. I recommend this book for children of all ages and even some adults!