Pigs do fly in Il Sung Na's most recent picture-book, which chronicles the adventures of a porcine dreamer who admired the birds, and longed to take to the skies as they did. His first attempts prove futile, but this pig doesn't give up, enlisting the help of his friends, and interviewing a series of flightless and flying birds to get some insights. Eventually his perseverance pays off, and not only does the pig take to the skies, he reaches the moon as well...

I enjoyed the heartwarming story in The Dreamer, appreciating its message about dreaming big and working hard, but in the end, it was Il Sung Na's beautiful artwork that really stood out to me. When he is at his best, his illustrations are immensely expressive, and he is definitely at his best here! There is a sense of wistful wonder in the opening scene, and a feeling of motion and activity in subsequent ones, as artwork is ably paired with story to create an effective whole. Recommended to all young dreamers, and to fellow fans of the artist. ( )

The Dreamer written by II Sung Na is a whimsical and inspirational story of a blue pig who has no boundaries on his dreams. He wants to fly like the birds, but he wastes no time sulking that he doesn't have wings. He creates his wings and his own success! This story was very lighthearted and an effortless read. Perfect for a day for when your students are feeling down, or if they just need a little pep talk when they are in the midst of their productive struggle. ( )

One of my favorite picture book authors applies the imagination of an optimist to the pessimistic phrase "when pigs fly." The result is a gentle STEM fable about a porcine aerospace engineer who embodies the spirit of innovation and perseveres through failure. The muted compositions of wispy watercolor, colored pencil, and ink represent a departure from the kaleidoscopic textures of Na's familiar style. The text is spare and poetic, leaving lots of room for elaboration and discussion.

I enjoy the visual allusions to real-life dreamers Da Vinci, Newton, and the Wright brothers. Perhaps my favorite sequence (introduced simply with "So he listened") shows the engineer and his assistants interviewing a series of flightless birds before taking notes from a parrot. When reading the book aloud, I do find it more natural to end with "So they did," skip the unnecessary commentary on the final two pages, and allow those wistful portraits of a pig pondering flight to speak for themselves.

Pairs well with: Miyazaki's Porco Rosso and any kind of STEM activity.

"Once, there was a pig who admired birds." Said pig - in pale, seafoam green - sets out to mimic the birds' flight, building flying machines until one works. But the final page is similar to the first, with the same text: "Once, there was a pig who admired birds." Gentle and dreamy, but ambitious and hardworking as well.

Ink, colored pencil, digital illustrations.

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/il-sung-na/the-dreamer-na/

See also: Rosie Revere, Engineer ( )