The dream catcher

A child seemingly separated from his parents cultivates dreams for himself and others in this heart-tugging intergenerational picture book from Verdad (The Worst Teddy Ever). When Miguel Ángel and his grandfather, Abuelito, prepare for their day, they chat about the coins they've saved in a jar "to buy an airplane... one with two seats so you can fly with me." Before heading to the beach to sell their wares--cold coconuts and dream catchers--young Miguel notes how the work of weaving makes him feel close to his parents. As the two depart for the day, acrylic paint, paper, and digital collage illustrations employ squat, shape-based forms alongside patterns and changing light. En route, Miguel wonders whether the dream catchers help people secure their varied hopes ("someone to laugh and play with all day long... changing the world and filling it with color... having a meal for the next day"). Asked whether dreams come true, Abuelito lovingly but realistically responds: "Not always.... But if your heart and actions walk the same path, good things can happen." Simultaneously, though, the text hints, the here-and-now can be a dream--and a reward--of its own: "Selling my coconuts next to you and seeing you smile is all I dream of. I like it here and now because we're together." It's a touching work with a childlike feel that considers how "everything happens at the right time." Characters cue as Latinx. Simultaneously publishing in English and Spanish. Ages 4--8. (May)

Miguel and his abuelito wake early to work; the grandfather sells cold coconuts from a small, wheeled cart, and the boy sells dream catchers he makes, a craft that reminds him of his absent (perhaps deceased?) parents. The boy is saving up to buy an airplane, his dream. As they make their way through town selling their wares, they talk about what people might dream of. Some dreams are big, such as living in a castle or changing the world; others are smaller, such as having enough food. Miguel's grandfather reiterates that "selling my cold coconuts next to you and seeing you smile is all I dream of. I like it here and now because we're together." There is a powerful interplay between the words and Verdad's acrylic paint and digital collage illustrations, dominated by blocky shapes and crayon-like textures. This is most poignantly displayed when the grandfather tells Miguel that some people dream of seeing someone they miss as the boy gazes at two parents walking with their young child. Verdad shows artistic restraint, allowing the reader to intuit meaning and emotional depth by interpreting what this interaction and others like it mean. A moving story of appreciating what you have while still dreaming of a different future. Julie Hakim AzzamMay/June 2024 p.129 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.