The Nice Dream Truck

Three round-faced children of varying ethnicities are tucked into a large bed, each with shut eyes and wide smiles, as this picture book opens. A page later, a brown-skinned, purple-haired girl with “stars in her eyes” makes her entrance in the fantastical Nice Dream Truck—a floating aquamarine affair sporting an enormous ice cream topper and rearview mirror dice—which serves up sweet dreams in the form of elaborate ice cream treats, pictured in myriad colors and topped with syrups and stars. From “dreams about summer/ and dreams about snow. Dreams about puppies/ wherever you go” to fantasies of flight, whales, and jelly bean scales, Barrager employs flurries of pinks, purples, and blues in digital illustrations that bring Ferry’s creative rhymes to life. The children at last “snuggle down deep” atop a fluffy white cloud, ending their dream with a satisfied smile. A sweet bedtime romp with commercial appeal. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)