Review: Moonbeam Dreams

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Hi! I'm Esmé, and I am two-and-a-half years old! (Yep, I'm finally saying the "half" part!)

I've got a book to tell you about today. It is about mermaids. And horses with wings. And unicorns. And a little girl swimming with a marlin. Though Mommy says it is really all about dreams.

Moonbeam Dreams, written and illustrated by Gina Browning, is a 40-page paperback children's fantasy book. Published by Eloquent Books, it has a list price of $16.50.

Here's how the publisher describes the book: "Writer and illustrator, Gina C. Browning, says some of the verses in her poetry book first came to her in her dreams as she was recovering from surgery years ago. The poems and illustrations in Moonbeam Dreams gradually evolved into 'a keenly rhymed, fantastical romp through a fantasy land, with weird and wonderful characters for readers of any age to enjoy.' Her poetry truly is for the young at heart."

Here's what I've got to say: I really really like the pictures. I like the mermaids and the mermen. And the sea horses. There is a little boy that looks like a troll with green hair. And a pink mouse! I learned that a marlin is a fish. I like unicorns. And pink and green dragons. This is MY book, and I like this book.

Mommy's Notes

This is truly a magical, mystical, mythical adventure. As Esmé has said, the pictures captured her attention the most. She would keep making me go back to previous pictures so she could investigate them further.

The text itself is fun-to-read poetry, with lots of "new" vocabulary words - and I love introducing new words to my child. I would say this is a great way to introduce poetry to a child - with intriguing pictures to correspond with the word art. This is no easy-reader Dr. Seuss, but rather something to be read out loud and savored.

The storyline is simply a romp through the author's dreams; lots of fantastical and bizarre stuff, like newts wearing lycra pantsuits and rollerskates. If you're into Greek mythology, you'll recognize many of the characters, though others are truly original. It does provide a base for discussing what types of things are real versus what are imaginary.

As a parent with a child who hates going to sleep and night, I appreciate the concept that dreams should be welcomed, along with the friends in them. Here are some lines from the closing page:

"Your dreams will come true if you believe that they do
and that things will turn out all right...
The sky is NO limit! So let yourself IN it!
Whatever you wish will be right."

A fun book for both the reading adult and kid, I'd recommend this for ages 3-8, or any age for a person that enjoys being read aloud to...

Thanks to the author and Pump Up Your Books Promotion for the review copy of this book.