BIG BLUE

An impossibly big dream searches to find his dreamer in Sirls’ picture book.

Big is a dream who towers over all the other dreams in his town. In this story, they all have only two goals: to find their matching person and to help them realize their dream; when they’re successful, the dreams turn blue. As other, smaller dreams match up with their people, Big finds himself left alone, without a dreamer. He searches across town, but most people either ignore him or are intimidated by his giant size—but he continues his quest, ignoring the fact that others tease him, and refusing to quit. Over the course of this book, Sirls flips the common idea of people not giving up on dreams, offering a refreshing take that makes for an enthralling tale: “But Big was a dream / and everyone knows / that dreams never give up.” San Vicente’s whimsical cartoon illustrations help make this book stand out even further; most of the drawings are grayscale with only a few intentionally colored objects. The few spots of color give the story’s events and ultimate outcome a uniquely dramatic effect.

A creative reversal of a common theme that yields an intriguing and entertaining read.