Arthur's Dream Boat

Adding to the sizable bookshelf of titles that bear witness to the power of a child's imagination, Dunbar (the Tilly and Friends series) introduces Arthur, a boy first seen yawning and stretching after waking up from an "amazing" dream. His dream was about a boat, and Dunbar pictures it perched on Arthur's head--dainty and white, at first, but growing in size, color, and detail in every spread. Arthur tries to share his dream with his family, but everyone is busy; meanwhile, he takes inspiration from his mother's polka-dot dress and his baby sister's yellow pajamas to add new elements to the boat. As nautical details appear with increasing frequency in the family's home (his sister's high chair looks suspiciously like a ship's crow's nest), Arthur gets fed up and lets loose his imagination, summoning the ocean itself and finally getting his family's attention. With a pink and green hull, red polka-dot flag, and garish blue-haired figurehead, Arthur's boat pops, disrupting the sherbet palette of Dunbar's loose, free-spirited illustrations the same way Arthur's fantasies cut through the busyness and noise of modern life. Ages 2-up. (Feb.)

PreS-K--Arthur has a dream to describe, but no one in his family is listening. He awakens with a boat on his mind, literally, and as he approaches each oblivious person or pet, another detail is supplied to the growing vessel. The boy first mentions the "pink-and-green boat with a striped mast" to his brother. Observant viewers will notice corresponding patterns and color combinations in this room and on subsequent pages. Arthur proceeds, relaying information about the "polka-dotted sails" and "beautiful figurehead." His final exasperated attempt, expressed in an enormous font, captures his family's attention and conjures up the waves. As the water rolls in, the onlookers enjoy a swim, until the delighted protagonist eventually scoops them up in his boat for a cuddly journey home; all is forgiven. Light aquamarine or white backgrounds provide a foil for the bright red or pink designs highlighted in this persistent hero's story and surroundings. The sounds emitted after each encounter set up the potential for a call-and-response with young audiences, from the "TIPPETY-TAP, TIPPETY-TAP" of the brother's computer to the "HOO-HA-LA-DE-DA!" emanating from the dreamer's mother as she sprinkles fish food into the bowl. The large trim size allows the mixed-media compositions to be easily seen from a distance, making this a welcome choice for storytimes. Children will enjoy comparing and contrasting Dunbar's gentle fantasy to David Small's saga of another child who takes a nighttime transformation in stride: Imogene's Antlers (Crown, 1985).--Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library