Dandelion’s Dream

This wordless fantasy unfolds at night, and its matte black pages contrast dramatically with stylized, crisp-edged artwork and wispy puffs of light that Tanaka (Sparrow Girl) creates in white and yellow. Over a single page turn, a dandelion in full bloom dreams it has become a miniature lion, its shining petals transforming into the lion’s mane. The lion faces readers with an antic smile and does a little dance step, delighted with its new form. It dashes joyously out into the world, drinking up new experiences: a train ride, a journey on a sheep and a sailing ship, a jarring arrival in a big city, which is improved by a trip to a movie theater (a piece of popcorn donated by a friendly girl is almost as big as the lion, who sits dwarfed by the seat). The final sequence of return to the dandelion field vaults into silent visual play that’s sudden and joyous. Set free from the rules of the physical universe, Tanaka’s solo debut plays with images and forms suggested by the natural world as the dandelion’s dream comes to an end in this short, ethereal journey. Ages 3–7. [em]Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Feb.) [/em]