Put on your onesie and grab your favorite stuffie. You’re just in time to cuddle up with a sweet and soothing new bedtime picture book!
In lyrical rhyming verse, Dreaming of You by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and Aaron DeWitt (Boyds Mills Press, 2018) helps us imagine what some of our favorite animals might dream about at night.
Tonight may you dream sweet animal dreams.
Tonight may your dreams all run free.
Tonight may you dream of what animals dream.
When they sleep, what do animals see?
While kittens dream of lapping fresh milk, chipmunks dream of digging deep burrows, fishes of tasting new plants, horses of wild, windy rides, and bunnies of napping in thickets.
VanDerwater includes ten different animals in all, featured in well crafted ballad quatrains with abcb end rhymes and the same repetitive word pattern in the first three lines — a perfect lullaby, calming and incantatory as it lulls the reader to slumberland:
Turtles are dreaming of cool, muddy beds.
Turtles are dreaming of learning to run.
Turtles are dreaming of basking with you
on a rock in a river in hot summer sun.
Kids will love all the charming details and activities, while observing the animals in their natural habitats. Best part is discovering that all their animal friends are ultimately dreaming about them!
Amy’s use of second person engages the reader from the very beginning, establishing an intimate tone that feels safe and comforting. Who would not love playing hide-and-go-seek with chipmunks or knowing that “Horses are dreaming of you telling secrets/into long ears as you nuzzle their faces”? So wonderful it makes you want to hug yourself. 🙂 Some of the verses are just sigh-worthy beautiful:
Robins are dreaming of fine, twiggy nests.
Robins are dreaming of waking up spring.
Robins are dreaming of swooping with you,
painting the sky with a song and a wing.
Aaron DeWitt’s mixed media illustrations take the reader full circle from starlit tucking-into-bed time through a happy sunrise the next morning. We first see a child’s footie pajama legs and a stuffed monkey being dragged to bed, where a pet dog and cat are blissfully snoozing. Through the window, we see a robin on her nest.
When we turn the page, we’re outside, looking into the lit window from the animals’ vantage point. Kittens are up first in an old dairy barn, followed by various animal dreams in cool, muddy beds, deep burrows, underwater, on wide open spaces, in squishy bogs, thickets, and summer meadows, before the story takes us back home, with puppies “dreaming of long, waggy walks” and “listening to stories, cuddled up close in a quilt on your bed.”
DeWitt skillfully captures the gentle playful spirit of the text, with no shortage of adorable animal antics to keep young ones enchanted and entertained. The level of detail is well suited to the target audience and the muted colors maintain a restful tone. I especially love the dozing bunny holding a carrot.
Bunnies are dreaming of napping in thickets.
Bunnies are dreaming of twitchety noses.
Bunnies are dreaming of you in a garden,
sharing sweet carrots and nibbles of roses.
Dreaming of You is simply lovely, a welcome and refreshing take on the classic goodnight book. With its lilting cadences and deft rhymes, it’s a pleasure to read aloud, a loving gift of words for a child to hear right before he/she drifts off to sleep. Sweet Dreams!
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DREAMING OF YOU
written by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
illustrated by Aaron DeWitt
published by Boyds Mills Press, March 2018
Picture Book for ages 3-6, 32 pp.
**Starred Review** from Kirkus
♥️ A Story Hour Kit and an Art Talk with Aaron DeWitt are available at Amy’s website.
♥️ Enjoy the official book trailer:
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📒 SPECIAL BOOK GIVEAWAY! 🐰
The publisher is generously donating a brand new copy of Dreaming of You for one lucky Alphabet Soup reader. For a chance to win, please leave a comment at this post no later than midnight (EDT) Wednesday, September 19, 2018. You may also enter by sending an email with DREAMING in the subject line to: readermail (at) jamakimrattigan (dot) com. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only, please. Good Luck!
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And guess who’s hosting the Roundup this week? None other than the beautiful and talented Amy Ludwig VanDerwater herself! Be sure to zip on over to The Poem Farm to check out the full menu of poetic goodness being served up in the blogosphere. Have a lovely weekend!
*Interior spreads text copyright © 2018 Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, illustrations © 2018 Aaron DeWitt, published by Boyds Mills Press. All rights reserved.
**This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. When you purchase something using a link on this site, Jama’s Alphabet Soup receives a small referral fee. Thank you for your support!
Copyright © 2018 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.
Sounds like a lovely bed time story 🙂
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Lovely and charming!
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What a perfect gift for a loved one. And, I would LOVE to play hide-and-seek with some chipmunks. Horse secrets are my favorite. What a lovely review. Nice to see the review of illustrations too.
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This book is huggable through and through . . . and very “Amy-ish.” 🙂
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Oh, Jama! This was such a beautiful and adorable and kind surprise! Thank you to you and to Cornelius and his friends. They look so cozy with the book. I am very grateful to you, for all you do to feed our senses and spirits and for your endless kindness. Happy Poetry Friday, my friend. Sweet dreams. xxxx
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Mr. C and company absolutely love the book and are happy to hear you approve of their appearing in this review. 🙂 Thank you so much for writing it. There are many bedtime/lullaby type books out there, but this one is extra special. Your unique voice, love of animals and kind spirit really shine through.
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This is another favorite of Amy’s books, a perfect book for every child at bedtime. It’s a wonderful idea to imagine all the animals’ dreams. Your review is lovely, Jama. No need to put me into the drawing; I have the book.
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I can easily see how this would become an instant bedtime favorite. Who can resist all these adorable animals?
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Sounds perfect for bed time sharing and your pictures are super adorable.
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Thanks, Sally — hope you get to see this one soon. Just adorable. 🙂
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Adorable book! It will be so fun for kids to think about and imagine what all the different animals dream about!
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Yes, the premise of the book is wonderful.
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While reading your blog gives me such joy with all the beauty/whimsy, it also gives me the best gift ideas for my Littles. You are helping me be a stellar Book Auntie!!!
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Good to hear that — from one Book Auntie to another. 🙂
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Sweet, sweet book. Thanks for sharing!
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Leave it to Amy — love her work!!
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Lovely lovely poetry… sweet sweet book. Who can resist?
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You are right — this one is irresistible. 🙂
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Such a lovely post, and thanks for the peeks at so many pictures. Thanks also to Mr. C. and the others for helping to show them off. PS – I will now be calling the author “Incantatory Amy” – ;0) – she has such a way with these lullaby-ing rhymes. (This “robyn” is happy to swoop with Amy anytime, and with you, Jama!)
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Amy nails the lullaby-ing rhymes for sure. I like that the sweetness of her spirit comes through in her poems.
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This is such a sweet book–I loved it! All of Amy’s books are wonderful! And that cover is just gorgeous!! Congrats, Amy & thanks for the lovely post, Jama 🙂
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I agree — Amy’s books are wonderful. Thanks for stopping by to read, Maria!
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This book looks lovely! I especially love the 3rd lines which engage the reader. So sweet!
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It really is a lovely book — soothing and calming too.
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A perfect combo of words and pictures. It is nice to see illustrations that don’t scream “computer generated,” as so many do these days.
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Yes, I know what you mean. 🙂
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young ones are not the only ones who will be enchanted and soothed by this delightful book.
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Wholly agree!
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What a special treat from Amy Ludwig Vanderwater!!
Just the preview of this lovely book begins to dissolve
the stresses of the day!
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Her words are definitely soothing . . .
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A new book by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is always a cause for celebration. This is no exception. I simply love this book. I will step aside for the giveaway as I already have a copy.
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I agree — cause for celebration, always a treat!
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Lovely review of Amy’s sweet and soothing bedtime book Jama–so many things to like about this book. The art and poetry mingle together wonderfully and add to each other. Cornelius fit right in too. BTW I love those cats on your masthead on top. Thanks!
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Amy and Aaron make a good team :). Cornelius wants to live in this book!
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I don’t blame him it’s very inviting.
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I read this book and it’s just beautiful! The wording is so very well crafted and lovely, especially the way the child (“you”) is smoothly worked into the end of each stanza. Plus the illustrations are darling. Yay, Amy! And thank you, Jama!
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The “you” sets an intimate tone, so gentle and calming.
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What a sweet, sweet book! I especially like the way the young reader is part of the story AND that wee rabbit holding tight to a carrot.
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The rabbit with the carrot is one of my fave illos. 🙂
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Perfectly sweet and very Amy. I love the photos you took, Jama. Your reviews are cuddle-worthy.
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Thanks, Brenda!!
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Ahhhh…these lovely verses and illustrations make me long for a little one to read them to. I wonder who will let me borrow their sleepy one at bedtime? I love your photographs of the pages with your stuffed critters enjoying the story. Delightful all the way around.
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The stuffed critters around here love to pose for photos — especially Mr Cornelius!
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“Incantatory” is the perfect word for the very best kind of bedtime book. I can’t wait to see this one! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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I know you will like it — hope you get to see it soon, Ruth!
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Such a beautiful book! I love how engaging it is, even as a bedtime book. Makes me wish I had a little one to share it with. 🙂
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It’s definitely a standout among bedtime books — I like the unique premise. 🙂
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Amy’s books looks & sounds beautiful…I love how her rhythmical text includes the reader/child.
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Yes, I do too. She creates such a wonderful feeling of intimacy.
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Oh what a dreamy sounding book–I can imagine the delight of reading this with a little one! Thanks for sharing it with us, Jama.
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This book is just delightful and charming.
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