Synopsis
A collection of poems relating the nighttime dreams of a large family.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1995-09-01 | | Illustrator: | Gary Drake |
| Size | | Height: | 12.0 in | | Width: | 8.8 in | | Thickness: | 0.2 in | | Weight: | 15.2 oz |
Publisher's Note
Combining sleepy verse with calming images, a collection of poems feature the dreams of the bedded-down Morgan family, and children can witness the secret fears and wishes by each member, from Baby Kevin to Daisy the dog.
Industry Reviews
``Suppertime they fill/ the room to bursting/ all the Morgans,'' but at night, the 13 members of this extended family ``say good night and grow still/ to drift or run/ to swim or fly/ to Dreamland.'' In separate poems, Singer (Please Don't Squeeze Your Boa, Noah!) imaginatively and thoughtfully invents dreams for each of the Morgans. Timothy dreams of pizzas and ``woozy cupcakes'' while preverbal baby Kevin shapes ``familiar pictures/while he sleeps /a fondle of flannel/a keep safe of crib.'' Many of the dreams are familiar (e.g., Catherine finds herself in underwear in front of her classmates). Singer's sensitive and image-rich poetry outshine newcomer Drake's slightly wooden and static pastel paintings, which face more finely articulated watercolor spot art of the sleeping dreamer in half-moon vignettes above the title of each poem. Disappointingly, the family breakfasting together at the conclusion is portrayed like a group of wax figures still frozen in dream action, despite the fluidity of the verse (``Everyone in the same world/ sometimes alone/ and always/ in some way/ together''). Ages 7-11. (Sept.)
Bernstein
Gr 1-6 In this collection of poetry, all seven Morgan children, their parents, their dog and cat, and a set of grandparents fall asleep, and a selection is devoted to each individual's dream. Amy watches in horror as her nightmare monster, a cross between a crocodile and a cobra, ``...slowly slowlies into her room/But Amy's even slower/stuck to her bed/like britches on brambles.'' Catherine finds herself standing before her classmates in her underwear, mom dreams of her noisy children (``Like timpanis fighting/with out-of-tune cellos''), and Timothy ogles an explosion of food. The pets' dreams add a touch of whimsy. Some verses dig deeper into the subconscious: in grandpa's dream, the past comes back to life; and adolescent Mary's reveals her sense of wrongness, of transition. Awake or asleep, the dreamers are linked to one another. A full-page pastel illustration accompanies each poem, while a small watercolor drawing of the sleeper appears above each one. Drake's artwork is well suited to the mood of each selection. Singer's poems, though, are what distinguish this work. Read them aloud her words deftly appeal to the senses. With its attractive subject and delightful wordplay, this book will charm a wide range of readers. Marilyn Taniguchi, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
Lopate
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