Arthur's Dream Boat

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Have you ever had a dream so wonderful you wanted to tell everyone? Arthur has He dreamt about an amazing beautiful pink and green boat with a stripy mast but no-one (not even his dog ) is interested in hearing about it. In fact, they don't even notice that this very same boat is growing on his head

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

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.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

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 (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Arthur wakes up after the most amazing dream about a pink-and-green boat with the boat perched atop his head. He tries telling his brother, mom, dad, and even the dog about the dream, but, in spite of the boat on his head growing larger and more intricate with each telling, nobody's listening. But soon, in a surreal twist, Arthur finds himself sailing the boat in a wide sea, with his family bobbing alongside. Now will they listen? The text here is elegant and spare, and often the only words on the page are sounds, which are rendered in a different typeface from the Arrrhoooo of the dog to the Wooshh of the waves. Dunbar's mixed-media illustrations are soft and textured and, in conjunction with the book's large trim size, heighten Arthur's dreamlike state. In the end, reality and fantasy are blurred into one; although some children may find this confusing, they likely won't mind being swept aboard Arthur's dream boat and sailing off into the sunset.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist

Horn Book Review

Arthur's family members are too preoccupied to listen to his dream about a boat--or even notice that one is literally growing on his head. While sailing in the full-size vessel, he finally gets their attention when he saves them from drowning. This charming fantasy, which plays out in lilting illustrations, taps into a feeling familiar to young readers: being overlooked. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

(Picture book. 2 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.