Just a Dream - by Chris Van Allsburg (Paperback)

About the Book

This classic story of environmental responsibility by a two-time Caldecott Medalist is now available in a special paperback edition with French flaps. Full color.

Book Synopsis

In this picture book classic, travel with young Walter on a fantastical adventure as he journeys--by way of his bed--into a polluted dreamscape world that wakes him up to our collective and individual environmental responsibility.

Walter does not appreciate the beauty of nature, or understand his role in keeping the planet healthy . . . until a fantastic journey shows him the tragic fate that could befall Earth if humans like him are not more careful.

Chris Van Allsburg (The Polar Express) pairs pitch-perfect narrative with his full-color pastel illustrations, rendering this picture book a story that has stood the test of time.

"Two-time Caldecott Medalist Van Allsburg reaches a new pinnacle of excellence in both illustration and storytelling in his latest work." (Publishers Weekly)

Review Quotes

"Not only are Just a Dream's illustrations some of the most striking Van Allsburg has ever created, but the text is his best yet. Van Allsburg has sacrificed none of the powerful, otherworldly spirit that suffuses his earlier works, and he has taken a step forward by bringing this spirit to bear on a vitally important issue. His fable builds to an urgent plea for action as it sends a rousing message of hope." -- Publishers Weekly

"Having littered, scoffed at a friend's newly planted tree, and failed to sort his trash, Walter dreams of a future buried in garbage, with even the Grand Canyon hidden by smog. No enigmatic subtext here, just the unabashed message--and Van Allsburg's lucid, powerfully composed art doing what it's supposed to: making graphic Pogo's plaint that 'We have met the enemy and he is us.' " -- Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

CHRIS VAN ALLSBURG is the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express, as well as the recipient of the Caldecott Honor for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children, he has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature. Chris Van Allsburg was formerly an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife and two children.