What a lovely dream world! ( )

A gorgeous, sweetly written book reminiscent of Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro.

Melody leads a rich dream life with her imaginary feline friend in this sweet picture-book from You Byun, but although she wishes her dream-friend could join her in the real world, it simply isn't possible. Having recently moved, she is the new kid in the neighborhood, and is too shy to approach the other children at the playground. But then one day, dancing the dance that she and her dream friend like, Melody is approached by another girl, curious about this new game...

Published in 2013, Dream Friends was author/artist You Byun's debut - since then she has illustrated another picture-book by Linda Ashman, Little Baby Buttercup - and offers an engaging story paired with beautiful artwork. I really enjoyed the illustrations here, appreciating the use of color, and the imaginative depiction of the various dream activities that Melody and her cat get up to. I also just appreciated the cat! Who wouldn't want a massive, cuddly, feline friend? Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about dreams, making friends, and/or imaginative play. ( )

DREAM FRIENDS is a story about a little girl who dreams about a very large cat and they go on adventures together in her dreams. She loves this cat so much, and she is very lonely at her new school, that she tries to hoax him into coming into the real world, but it never happens. Fortunately for the little girl, her loneliness goes away when a girl asks her about the dance she was doing, which was taught to her by her dream cat. This illustrations in this story are very charismatic and are very bright and colorful, which makes it seem as if it is more realistic to be in a dream. The author of the story also illustrated it and made it to her liking. The artwork is very beautiful and detailed, which makes the story seem more relatable to a child’s thoughts. One lesson to take away from this story is the sense of happiness that something so small can bring to someone’s life, in this case it is the happiness that a cat gives a young girl in her dreams. ( )

Resplendent with candy pastels, this picture book tells the story of a shy, young girl, Melody, who has difficulty making friends in a new neighborhood. Every night Melody visits her “very special friend,” who resembles a giant fluffy dog, in her dreams and together the two have amazing adventures finding treasures and playing games. During the day, Melody struggles to make friends, until one day she pretends she’s dancing with her friend. Her dance on the playground attracts the attention and friendship of the other kids, and soon enough she’s made friends and invites one over for a sleepover. Together, the two children dream of Melody’s friend, creating an ending that integrates the magic of Melody’s dreams with her reality. The chalk-like textures of the images give the story a warmth and vibrancy that pairs well with the playful nature of the story and its magical elements. Featuring a diverse cast of children, this book could help encourage shy kids to try to have the courage to try to make friends with others, regardless of what they might look like or who they might be. This is an empowering story of finding courage and forging friendships with artwork suited to make these situations feel less scary by emphasizing sunshine and cheer. Recommended for purchase. ( )