Byun’s debut establishes this young artist as a remarkably polished talent. Her illustrations are the book’s raison d’être; the story is just substantial enough to hang it on. Melody has a marvelous dream friend, a huge white cat who “surprised her with lovely things” like a hat full of stars, and plays hide-and-seek with her in a place that’s half bedroom, half forest. Melody is lonely in her new home, though; she wants (and finds) a real friend, and she doesn’t have to give up her dream friend to do it. Printed on matte paper, Byun’s warm, grainy spreads have the look of lino prints, and her detailed drawing creates an atmosphere of visual abundance. Scenes of Melody’s daytime life are worked in a palette of friendly grade-school paint-box shades, while the dream sequences are drenched in saturated tangerines, lavenders, and blues. Combined with an instinctive knowledge of objects that please children (swing sets, cupcakes, spiral staircases, ladybugs), Byun has created a diminutive paradise, a bedtime destination that children will want to visit again and again. Ages 3–5. Agent: Rubin Pfeffer, East West Literary Agency. (Feb.)
* “Byun’s debut establishes this young artist as a remarkably polished talent. Her illustrations are the book’s raison d’être. . . . Byun’s warm, grainy spreads have the look of lino prints, and her detailed drawing creates an atmosphere of visual abundance. . . . Combined with an instinctive knowledge of objects that please children, Byun has created a diminutive paradise, a bedtime destination that children will want to visit again and again.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
“The unusual color palette, swirling peach and gold and violet and turquoise during the fantasy scenes, sets this book apart, as do debut author Byun’s textured, retro-style illustrations. A visual wonderland from an artist to watch.” — Booklist
“Soft sunset colors and unusual imagery welcome readers into a child’s dream world. . . . Swirly, expressive spot and full-bleed art. . . . This gentle story celebrates imagination and bravery in new circumstances.” — School Library Journal
The unusual color palette, swirling peach and gold and violet and turquoise during the fantasy scenes, sets this book apart, as do debut author Byun’s textured, retro-style illustrations. A visual wonderland from an artist to watch.
PreS-Gr 2—Soft sunset colors and unusual imagery welcome readers into a child's dream world. Melody finds more happiness in this imaginary place than she does in her new neighborhood, where she feels shy and lonely. In her dreams she has a special friend, a large, flying doglike creature that brings magic, adventure, and companionship into her life. The succinct text allows the swirly, expressive spot and full-bleed art, created with paintbrushes and ink and manipulated digitally, to develop the emotional arc of the story. As Melody tries to lure her dream friend into reality, she manages to unleash its joyous energy into the playground. Though her dream friend doesn't materialize in the way she hopes, Melody finds the magic within herself that ultimately leads to a real friend. This gentle story celebrates imagination and bravery in new circumstances.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA
A little girl's "dream friend" assuages her loneliness after a family move. Every night Melody ascends a spiral staircase from her bedroom to her dreams, where she plays with a giant, fluffy white dog sporting a red bow tie. He surprises her "with lovely things," and they play hide-and-seek and watch fireworks together. But Melody must leave her idyllic dream world during the day, and in the "real world," she languishes in loneliness on the playground--"she was too shy to talk to the other children." "Coax[ing]" her dream friend into the real world doesn't work, but one day on the playground, she imagines dancing with him, attracting the attention of a friendly girl in overalls. "Melody taught her the dance she learned from her friend. Soon everyone on the playground was dancing with them." While newcomer Byun's story is a little on the bland and idealized side, her illustrations entrance. Delicate lines and a retro pastel palette create a friendly, surreal dream world and an appealing neighborhood playground filled with a multiethnic cast of chubby-cheeked children. The sequence in which Melody tries to convince her dream friend to come into the world is particularly funny; she sets a trail of cupcakes and tries with main force to squash him through her door, among other stratagems. Readers will want to go to sleep right away in hopes of summoning their own dream friends. (Picture book. 4-7)
