Dormouse Dreams

The suspense in this story-in-verse is of the gentlest sort. One dormouse sleeps the winter away, wishing for a visit from his dormouse friend (“He dreams of the days they can play hide-and-seek/ in the tall green grass by the whispering creek”). She has already set off on a journey to see him, and readers have the fun of anticipating the joy he’ll feel when he awakens. Successive spreads show the hibernating dormouse curled up with his stuffed bunny, his dreams of playing with his friend, and the friend perched on the wing of a biplane, pillbox hat firmly on her head, pearl necklace streaming behind her. With tiny, densely worked pencil strokes and soft hues, Liwska (Waiting for Snow) depicts the winter adventures that unfold as the dormouse slumbers: wolves play, birds rescue a rabbit, skiers race. Wilson’s (Dormouse Dreams) evocative language and sonic punctuation make for a fine readaloud, and Liwska breathes life into the entire forest community, making readers feel as though each creature has its own distinctive character and temperament. Ages 3–5. Illustrator’s agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Feb.)