A simple, whimsically illustrated story about finding one’s purpose.
A boy seeks his dream in Dahlia’s illustrated children’s book.
In a village named Sparkling lives a little boy named Neem. He was born in this magical place, which is illuminated by dreams themselves rather than sunlight. Neem and his three goose friends spend their days in the beautiful woods near Sparkling, but the fowl all have something that Neem doesn’t—they’ve found their dreams. It seems like everyone else has found their small guiding light that accompanies them everywhere, making house windows glow invitingly at night. Neem decides to set off to find his dream and encounters a girl named Pla, whose dream is to help plants grow everywhere. Neem meets other friends like Vicky (who tends fish), an old woman who cleans the end of the rainbow, and an apothecary for sick and ailing animals. They all have lovely dreams, but none of them are for Neem. Neem walks until he comes across a hot air balloon and climbs aboard to meet an elderly man, learning how the man oversees turning the sky from day to night and back again. The man explains to Neem that while dreams can be simple or sometimes even monotonous, they fit into the larger cycle of the universe in which each individual person is necessary and unique. (“Once you see the value in what you do, there’s nothing to complain about.”) Neem returns home to process this journey and figure out what his dream inspiration will finally be. The book includes an illustrated map of Neem’s Dreamland and several activities about dream cultivation. These are intriguing resources, but they lack the structure to make them easily actionable and they don’t quite feel meaningfully related to the story. The author takes care to introduce Neem to multiple characters, but there is little internal character development until the end of the story. Ran’s illustrations are tenderly drawn and help to immerse the reader in this fantasy tale.
A simple, whimsically illustrated story about finding one’s purpose.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: March 6, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
An invitation to wonder, imagine and look at everything (humans included) in a new way.
A young boy sees things a little differently than others.
Noah can see patterns in the dust when it sparkles in the sunlight. And if he puts his nose to the ground, he can smell the “green tang of the ants in the grass.” His most favorite thing of all, however, is to read. Noah has endless curiosity about how and why things work. Books open the door to those answers. But there is one question the books do not explain. When the wind comes whistling by, where does it go? Noah decides to find out. In a chase that has a slight element of danger—wind, after all, is unpredictable—Noah runs down streets, across bridges, near a highway, until the wind lifts him off his feet. Cowman’s gusty wisps show each stream of air turning a different jewel tone, swirling all around. The ribbons gently bring Noah home, setting him down under the same thinking tree where he began. Did it really happen? Worthington’s sensitive exploration leaves readers with their own set of questions and perhaps gratitude for all types of perspective. An author’s note mentions children on the autism spectrum but widens to include all who feel a little different.
An invitation to wonder, imagine and look at everything (humans included) in a new way. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-60554-356-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Redleaf Lane
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
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