Yesterday, we had an imaginary friend.
And today?
We have Dream Animals, by Emily Winfield Martin.
If I ever had a child of my own, this is the art that I would want to decorate their nursery with. And this would be one of the very first books that I would want to decorate their nursery with.
In case you couldn’t tell, magical realism is very much my thing. Art, if you ask me, is important because it helps us find the wonder and the beauty (the magic, if you will), in the every day, and this book serves as a wonderful introduction to that concept. (Or as a reminder, for us adults!)
The cover tells you pretty much everything you need to know, and yes, it is as amazing as it looks. The art could have stood alone as simple paintings, I think, but when paired with the text?
There are animals from long ago
And twice as far away
Their maps are made of starlight
And can’t be seen by dayThese creatures are the reason
Dreamers get where dreamers go
Dreamland is too far to run
And sleepy feet too slow.You only have to close your eyes
And when you snuggle in…Youll be carried to your dream tonight
On wing or paw or fin.
That’s what makes it something really special.
And as if that wasn’t enough to convince you? The book is gender-neutral, with an assortment of both boy and girl characters. There are characters of colour. There are fairies and elves and monsters and robots. There are animals you wouldn’t normally expect to see inside a children’s book. (A narwhal! A moth! Not going to lie, the moth completely has my heart. ♥)
What more could you ask for?
bookslut & storyteller 