  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 04/15/2013 Melody has a dream friend: he looks like an oversize white dog wearing a red bow tie. Whatever he is, he’s cute. In her dreams, Melody and her special friend do amazing things, like play hide-and-seek in a magical wood and watch fireworks that burst into the shapes of candy and cupcakes. But Melody’s real-life world is lonely, and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to bring her dream friend into reality. Then one day, a girl on the playground sees Melody dancing and asks to join in—and soon others follow (there’s a little dog in the scene, a brown version of you know who). In a nice twist, Melody and her new friend have a sleepover and travel to dream world together. While the theme here is common and the text straightforward, the illustrations are anything but. The unusual color palette, swirling peach and gold and violet and turquoise during the fantasy scenes, sets this book apart, as do debut author Byun’s textured, retro-style illustrations. A visual wonderland from an artist to watch. - Copyright 2013 Booklist. School Library Journal - 07/01/2013 PreS-Gr 2—Soft sunset colors and unusual imagery welcome readers into a child's dream world. Melody finds more happiness in this imaginary place than she does in her new neighborhood, where she feels shy and lonely. In her dreams she has a special friend, a large, flying doglike creature that brings magic, adventure, and companionship into her life. The succinct text allows the swirly, expressive spot and full-bleed art, created with paintbrushes and ink and manipulated digitally, to develop the emotional arc of the story. As Melody tries to lure her dream friend into reality, she manages to unleash its joyous energy into the playground. Though her dream friend doesn't materialize in the way she hopes, Melody finds the magic within herself that ultimately leads to a real friend. This gentle story celebrates imagination and bravery in new circumstances.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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