Dream, Baby, Dream!

"Dream, Baby, Dream!" is a board book consisting of endearing photos of lush colors that entice the senses. This pictorial fantasy -- supported by minimal text - beckons the reader to embark upon a journey that is adventurous, yet warm, satisfying and always safe. The cover photos juxtapose a very peacefully sleeping baby against his dreams of soaring through space upon the cow that has jumped over the moon. As the book opens, we are invited to discover, "What is baby dreaming of?" The author/illustrator skillfully utilizes text and illustrations to present a variety of dream experiences (and/or children's fantasies) through the eyes of a child. "Dream, Baby, Dream!" is a springboard for imaginative adventure in areas of great interest to young children: Animals; stars and space; puppies, kittens and butterflies; sweet fragrances and soft sensations; soaring free; and, venturing into the unknown while always returning home to loving cuddles, swathing and safety. These images evoke the gentle, contented sense of security reminiscent of "Goodnight Moon" - the feeling that all in the world is as it should be, and that baby is surrounded by love (which also makes it excellent bedtime reading material). Especially amusing was the author/illustrator's use of "Baby dreams of going fishing" to indicate swimming along with the fish - BEING a fish and doing what fish do, which is " FISH-ing." Similarly, "catching butterflies" speaks to the fantasy of obtaining a ride on a butterfly as one might "catch a train" for a ride home. As a board book, "Dream, Baby, Dream!" is sufficiently durable for infants and toddlers, who can enjoy it repeatedly without tearing the pages. In my experience of presenting this book to preschoolers, the 2-year-olds listened carefully with wide-eyed wonder while the 3-s/4's were inspired to think about and share their own dreams. And for the 4's and early 5's with blossoming literacy skills, "Dream, Baby, Dream!" offered relevant basic vocabulary, repetition of text, a degree of predictability and some good opportunities to form rhymes. "Dream, Baby, Dream!" is not only a wonderful literary experience -- it's just downright fun!

Wonderful pictures of real babies. Very colorful. A fun book to read to your kids!