Dormouse Dreams

The suspense in this story-in-verse is of the gentlest sort. One dormouse sleeps the winter away, wishing for a visit from his dormouse friend ("He dreams of the days they can play hide-and-seek/ in the tall green grass by the whispering creek"). She has already set off on a journey to see him, and readers have the fun of anticipating the joy he'll feel when he awakens. Successive spreads show the hibernating dormouse curled up with his stuffed bunny, his dreams of playing with his friend, and the friend perched on the wing of a biplane, pillbox hat firmly on her head, pearl necklace streaming behind her. With tiny, densely worked pencil strokes and soft hues, Liwska (Waiting for Snow) depicts the winter adventures that unfold as the dormouse slumbers: wolves play, birds rescue a rabbit, skiers race. Wilson's (Dormouse Dreams) evocative language and sonic punctuation make for a fine readaloud, and Liwska breathes life into the entire forest community, making readers feel as though each creature has its own distinctive character and temperament. Ages 3-5. Illustrator's agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Feb.)

PreS-Gr 1--"Deep in the woods, in a pine tree house, curled up in a ball sleeps a little dormouse." Bears aren't the only animals that hibernate, and this dormouse is dreaming of a visit from a friend, and all the things they will do together when she arrives. But soon readers notice that there is a parallel narrative. While the title character appears in more and more adorable sleeping poses (with upturned pink paws and a tiny stuffed bunny) and his dreams appear as springtime wishes, his friend is indeed on her way to him, ferried by a menagerie of forest animals. As winter turns to spring, the dormouse visitor gets closer and the separation between dream and reality a little more difficult for readers to discern, which makes this title better suited for a lapsit than a group read-aloud. Wilson's rhyming couplets have a comforting rhythm. Liwska's full spread pencil drawings, digitally layered with warm color, beg for a close reading; every animal's expression is worth a second look, and her method of building texture is interesting and can be easily imitated. VERDICT A sweet and tender title for one-on-one sharing either at bedtime or while waiting in anticipation for the season to change.--Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter School, Providence