Reviews

PreS-- A bedtime picture book with a message that dreams can be so alluring that they can convince any reluctant child to fall asleep. ``What will we do with Dorothy?'' her parents and siblings wonder when Dorothy won't go to bed. She sings, looks at books, and jumps on her bed, afraid that she'll miss something if she nods off. But one night, her usually ``small, pale dreams'' are suddenly lightened by one dream which shines. The desire to see more of it lures her to sleep the next night, to the amazement of her family. While the idea is novel, the narration is awkward. The text is choppy, with poor transitions. The light, whimsical watercolors improve the story, but do not redeem it. The cozy, realistic, pastel drawings of the family are offset by the eerie, rust-colored settings of the ``cold, sour dreams'' which then move into a fanciful full-paged spread. But the magical dreams portrayed cannot make up for this lackluster tale. --Marianne Pilla, Upper Dublin Pub . Lib . , Dresher, PA