PENELOPE'S BIG DREAM
written and illustrated by Mónica Vidalón
A child’s big, blue fluffy dream fills Vidalón’s book.
The sentient, smiling dream gives Penelope a sense of meaning and purpose in life, and in return, Penelope takes good care of it. As Penelope’s dream develops it grows so big that it begins to overwhelm Penelope’s life: It is too big to fit in cars, can’t get through doorways, and gets in the way of play dates. Penelope’s friends laugh at the size of her dream, which leaves her feeling embarrassed, so she decides to leave her dream in her bedroom from then on. Still, Penelope looks forward to seeing her dream at the end of each day. Soon the dream, feeling neglected, starts to shrink. One day Penelope comes home and can’t find her dream. She searches everywhere, finally finding the tiny blue puffy ball hiding in her dresser drawer. Penelope decides to again make room for her dream in her daily life no matter what people say. The author never explains exactly what Penelope’s dream is, nor whether it represents a specific life goal or simply a sense of hope: “After all, we all have a dream….” This ambiguity invites young readers to explore their own dreams and identify what they care about and why. The author’s own illustrations of Penelope with her fair skin and her cloudlike dream are bold and colorful, and the text is straightforward, occasionally employing fun typography for emphasis.
A charming introduction to the meaning and value of childhood dreams.