Description
Description
As a young girl finds solace in her toys, a turtle sets off on a mission to deliver dreams in this comforting tale of parallel narratives told in spare text and lushly detailed, luminous illustrations. Beyond the city and over the sea is a forest of dreams. At the edge of the forest lives a turtle--the Dream Keeper. In a small boat, the turtle sets off on a tumultuous journey to deliver dreams to sleeping souls nearby. Meanwhile, a young girl, scared by the nighttime shadows in her room, finds consolation in her toys . . . but cannot sleep. While their stories unfold side by side, the girl and the turtle must each harness their courage and overcome their fears as their worlds intertwine in the most wonderful, magical way. Brimming with glowing, dreamlike scenes, Anna Walker's picture book is a visual sensation that articulates the boundless power of inner strength and will offer companionship and reassurance for young children as they drift off to sleep.
About the Author
About the Author
Anna Walker is an award-winning illustrator and author of many picture books published around the world, including Florette, which was a New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book. She is inspired by tiny details in the world around her. Anna Walker lives and works in Melbourne, Australia.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
[A] soothing, ethereal tale-within-a-tale, a girl draws and plays before bed. . . . The illustrations, appearing in side-by-side panels, capture the magic of the girl's imagination in sometimes translucent watercolor splashes, illuminating a hopeful path through the frightening night.
--Foreword Reviews (starred review) With few words, Walker beautifully blurs the borders between consciousness and sleep as the intrepid turtle's actions result in tender dreams for the youngster. Vivid, expressive watercolors accentuated with spray paint use texture confidently--splotchy, speckled, and sparkling--to convey the story's narrative arc. Sparkling, splendid artistic techniques create a world worth lingering in.
--Kirkus Reviews Colored pencil, spray paint, and watercolor combine to create a dreamy atmosphere of delicately blurred lines and warm hazy coloring, while sequential scenes of full-page spreads are often paneled on a white background like a graphic novel.
--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
--Foreword Reviews (starred review) With few words, Walker beautifully blurs the borders between consciousness and sleep as the intrepid turtle's actions result in tender dreams for the youngster. Vivid, expressive watercolors accentuated with spray paint use texture confidently--splotchy, speckled, and sparkling--to convey the story's narrative arc. Sparkling, splendid artistic techniques create a world worth lingering in.
--Kirkus Reviews Colored pencil, spray paint, and watercolor combine to create a dreamy atmosphere of delicately blurred lines and warm hazy coloring, while sequential scenes of full-page spreads are often paneled on a white background like a graphic novel.
--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Candlewick Press (MA)
Pub date:
2026-06-16
Length:
40 pages
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