A young girl follows her teddy bear out the window in this dream-like picture-book, riding a sparrow through the air, across the land, and over the sea - all the way to "a growling place," where she must confront three grouchy bears, in order to win back her toy.

Intrigued by the cover image, in which bear and girl growl together, and with evident abandon, I picked up this rather unusual picture-book on an impulse, and I'm glad that I did. I'm not familiar with Maguire's work, but I certainly hope to see more of it! The detailed illustrations - done in pencil? - are immensely engaging, with a surreal quality that really spoke to me. I can't say I was as thrilled with the narrative, which seemed intentionally disjointed, but for a first effort on Maguire's part, this is a lovely little book. I even liked the design, with its unusually oblong shape. ( )

A little girl dreams of riding a sparrow to the growling place, a land of bears, in order to rescue her stuffed bear that was carried off on the wind. RESPONSE: I saw this book sitting on a library shelf, and the cover's artwork made me pick it up and take it home. The artwork is so unique and entrancing, it's unlike anything else out there. The story is simple, just a dream Aril has, but the dreamscapes Maguire creates are anything but simple. THEMES/CONCEPTS: dreaming, adventure, sharing, bullying, friendships

This is a really beautiful book both in terms of design and illustration. The story is a bit gothic, but ultimately lighthearted. Very nice.