Wednesday, August 22, 2012

"Arthur's Dream Boat" by Polly Dunbar

ISBN:  9780763658670
$15.99
When you first pick up this children's picture book, you are immediately impressed with the soft, intuitively gentle art that is done using various mediums.  The colors speak loudly of dreamy, amazing, childhood - blues, reds, greens basic browns and black but overtly soft.
When Arthur awakens, he has had a dream of a small boat it is green and pink and has a sail.  No one listens when he tells of his amazing dream.  He keeps on trying to gain their attention, but they are so busy and are not listening to him.  Yet on his head is perched the boat from his dream and it is amazing.  It keeps getting added to - polka dots on the sail, stripes on the mast, a gold flag, a figurehead. And it is growing!
Arthur shouts, "Listen to me," and at that time, Arthur and the sea catch their attention. 
This is a dreamy tale of exaggeration and of a boy who has a dream and whose telling of the dream grows with the telling.  The lively and whimsical illustrations are a delight to behold and tell the story from start to finish with beauty and boldness.  Though the art is bold, it is also soft like a child and will appeal wonderfully to the child in your life as you read about Arthur's amazing dream!