Farmer Enno and His Cow

This German import, a fantastical tale by newcomer Rassmus, speculates on what happens when dreams come true. Each night, landlocked Farmer Enno dreams of sailing the high seas, and each morning he finds a model of the previous night's dream-boat by his bedside. Eventually his room fills up and full-sized ships start to clutter his fields. He heads to town with his cow, Africa, named after the shape of her biggest spot, and checks into the hospital. The next morning a gigantic freighter bursts through the hospital walls, and Farmer Enno flees. Africa urges him to take his talent down to the sea, but there Farmer Enno's boat dreams suddenly dry up, and he must sell his farm to buy a real ship. In a clever twist, the witty last scenes show the farmer and Africa setting sail for the cow's namesake, while everyone back in town wakes to find objects from their dreams (rocket ships, airplanes, the Eiffel Tower, etc.) bursting out of their rooms. Rassmus's sophisticated oil paintings, filled with dense brushstrokes and visual surprises (e.g., one wordless spread shows the farmer on his dream-boat being swept up in a giant wave), are enhanced by the book's oversized format. The bond between farmer and cow lends a warm touch to this satisfying story, yet the escapist nature of the dreams portrayed here may have more resonance for older children and adults. Ages 5-9. (Mar.)