Happy Dreamer

by Peter H. Reynolds

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

This inspirational story is the perfect gift, universal for any occasion. Happy Dreamer encourages children to follow their dreams, and that it’s never a bad idea to shoot for the stars.

The beloved, worldwide bestselling creator of The Dot and I Am Human inspires readers of every age to find their own unique path to happy, and to always follow their dreams.

From the beloved, bestselling creator of The Dot, The Word Collector, and I Am Human.Picture book and creativity guru Peter H. Reynolds's inspirational book is a wonderful gift for graduations, new babies, milestone moments, and any happy occasion throughout the year. Discover a universally poignant celebration of the colorful spectrum of what it means to dream and the many ways to find happy! While the world tells us to sit still, to follow the rules, and to color inside the lines, Happy Dreamer celebrates all those moments in between when the mind and spirit soar and we are free to become our own true dreamer maximus! In Peter's signature voice and style, this empowering picture book reminds children of how much their dreams matter, and while life will have ups and downs, he enlists readers to stay true to who they are, to tap into their most creative inner selves, and to never ever forget to dream big!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545865012
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	03/28/2017
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	24,839
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD490L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Peter H. Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many books for children, including The Dot, I Am Human, Happy Dreamer, The Word Collector, Say Something!, Be You!, and Our Table. His books have been translated into over 25 languages around the globe and are celebrated worldwide. In 1996, he founded FableVision with his brother, Paul, as a social change agency to help create “stories that matter, stories that move.” He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts, with his family. Visit him online at peterhreynolds.com.

Editorial Reviews

01/02/2017
Reynolds (Playing from the Heart) returns to familiar inspirational territory as he celebrates individuality, self-expression, and the joys of being a dreamer. A shaggy-haired boy narrates, explaining that while the world often tells him to “sit still” and “be quiet,” “my dreams have a mind of their own.” He’s initially shown sitting at a gray desk in a gray classroom, but a swirl of color beckons, and soon he’s leaping across a spread, accompanied by music notes and bursts of cheerful color. Throughout, Reynolds’s hand-lettered text and airy cartoons dance across the pages, capturing the freewheeling workings of the child’s mind, and a gatefold showcases children showing off dozens of way to be happy (a “nature happy” girl on a hike, an “art happy” painter) or dreamers (such as a “stage dreamer” midperformance). While Reynolds’s encouragements can get generic at times (“Sometimes... I’m a colorful dreamer,/ painting my own path/ full of surprises at every turn!”), he offers a liberating validation of dreaming as restorative, comforting, and powerful, while giving kids full license to be themselves. Ages 4–8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Happy Dreamer"Empowering. . . As an exploration of emotions, impulses, and creativity, the book would help children identify why they feel the way they do, and help others understand why people may respond to events differently." — Booklist"Like a roller-coaster ride, Reynolds' text and illustrations capture the energetic side of creativity and the gloom of cleaning up the messes that come with it while providing a wide vocabulary to describe emotional brilliance and resilience . . . A sweet gift to praise spirited individuality, this choice encourages readers to dream big." — Kirkus Reviews"Reynolds returns to familiar inspirational territory as he celebrates individuality, self-expression, and the joys of being a dreamer...He offers a liberating validation of dreaming as restorative, comforting, and powerful, while giving kids full license to be themselves."— Publishers Weekly"Celebratory...The digital illustrations feature loose linework and soft, swirling pastels. As in many of Reynolds's books, the text is hand lettered....A lovely graduation gift."— School Library Journal"Delightful...Unraveling messy thought processes enthusiastically, Reynolds' prose soars. Even the end papers, like pint-size graffiti, have colorful affirmations that children will enjoy decoding . . . Out-of-the-box thinkers will know they are not alone and all will be inspired to become unique 'dreamers maximus.'"— School Library ConnectionPraise for The Dot* "Simplicity itself, like the dot in the title, this small book carries a big message." — Booklist, starred review* "In this engaging, inspiring tale, Reynolds (illustrator of the Judy Moody series) demonstrates the power of a little encouragement. . . . Reynolds pulls off exactly what his young heroine does, creating an impressive work from deceptively simple beginnings." — Publishers Weekly, starred review* "With art that seems perfectly suited to the mood and the message of the text, Reynolds inspires with a gentle and generous mantra: 'Just make a mark.'" — School Library Journal, starred review" . . . it may speak to formerly artistic young readers who are selling their own abilities short." — KirkusPraise for Ish*"Ish. . .encourages readers to see the world anew." — School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

03/01/2017
PreS-Gr 2—A pajama-clad child is a self-proclaimed happy dreamer, good at "daydreams. Big dreams. Little dreams. Creative dreams." The child demonstrates different ways to dream, acknowledging that sometimes dreaming is easy but that there are lonely moments, too. The secret is to find a way out and get back to dreaming. This celebratory book finishes on a motivational note: "But the best way to be a happy dreamer? Just be YOU." The digital illustrations feature loose linework and soft, swirling pastels. As in many of Reynolds's books, the text is hand lettered. A large foldout reveals a plethora of kids participating in various activities: "nature happy," "kindness happy," "civic dream," and "vision dreamer." Although some illustrations pop from the page, others, showing literal visual translations of the text, are less engaging. The work aims to be uplifting and rousing, but the never-ending stream of inspirational keywords and phrases result in a sentimental, clichéd free verse poem. Unfortunately, this title lacks the narrative arc and originality of Reynolds's earlier titles, such as Ish and Sky Color. VERDICT An additional purchase for large libraries, or a lovely graduation gift.—Amy Seto Forrester, Denver Public Library

School Library Journal

2016-12-06
Displaying his distinctive voice and images, Reynolds celebrates the joys and challenges of being a creative spirit. "I am a HAPPY DREAMER," cheers a thin, spiky-haired white boy as he flies skyward, streaming yellow swirls of sparkles. This little "dreamer maximus" piles on the energy with colors and noise and the joy-filled exuberance he has for life. "Wish you could HEAR inside my head / TRUMPETY, ZIGZAG JAZZ!" With clear honesty, he shares that the world tells him to be quiet, to focus and pay attention. Like a roller-coaster ride, Reynolds' text and illustrations capture the energetic side of creativity and the gloom of cleaning up the messes that come with it while providing a wide vocabulary to describe emotional brilliance and resilience. The protagonist makes no apologies for expressing his feelings and embracing his distinct view of the world. This makes him happy. The book finishes with a question to readers: "What kind of dreamer are you?" Hinging outward, the double-page spread opens to four panels, each with a dozen examples of multiracial children being happy and being dreamers, showing inspiring possibilities for exploration. The best way, of course, is to "just BE YOU." A sweet gift to praise spirited individuality, this choice encourages readers to dream big. Let those sparkles fly! (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews