I Dreamed I Was A Dog

by Joel Nakamura

Overview

"The universe is a dream dreamed by a single dreamer where all the dream characters dream too."

–Arthur Schopenhauer

Inspired by this famous quote, Joel Nakamura's vivid, colorful illustrations transport readers on a magical journey that begins as a young boy falls asleep and dreams that he is a dog. Populated with animals and beautiful scenes of the natural world, the story shows the interconnection between all creatures in the vastness of the universe. A perfect bedtime story for readers of all ages!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781945652905
Publisher:	Leaf Storm Press
Publication date:	10/31/2017
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 Years

About the Author

Award-winning artist Joel Nakamura is known for his unique style: a blend of folk art and sophisticated iconography rendered in a neo-primitive technique. He is chosen for many of his commissions for his knowledge of tribal art, mythology, and for his ability to convey stories and information in an intricate and engaging manner. His first children's book, Go West!, was the National Book Festival's selection from New Mexico, the 2015 Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award Winner: Best Writer/Illustrator, Gold Medal, the 2015 Moonbeam Children's Book Award Winner: Best Illustrator, Silver Medal, and the 2015 USA Best Books Award Winner: Best Hardcover Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book.

Nakamura's ability to render humanity in such primal, edgy hues has captured the attention of clients like Time Magazine, US News & World Report, and the Los Angeles Times. His paintings have enlivened the pages of many other books and publications, as well as the 2002 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies programs. Nakamura has been profiled in Communication Arts, Step Inside Design, Confetti and Southwest Art magazines.

Editorial Reviews

09/25/2017
Using a Schopenhauer quotation as inspiration and epigraph (“The universe is a dream dreamed by a single dreamer where all the dream characters dream too”), Nakamura languidly traces a boy’s ever-evolving dream. The boy begins the night as a “dog with red fur and purple spots, chewing on a giant bone,” but soon transforms into a dinosaur (the red dog is now cast in a best friend role), train, cloud, and more. Nakamura uses the same folk art–inflected style seen in 2015’s Go West!, and his vivid acrylic paintings are tattooed with dots and patterns that bring an almost psychedelic energy to the pages. When the dream turns extraterrestrial, the boy turns into a flying saucer, piloted by the same red dog; clouds, bones, and birds can be seen amid the circuitlike panels on its gleaming exterior, harking back to the boy’s earlier incarnations. Most readers already have a sense of the unpredictable malleability of dreams, an idea Nakamura evocatively explores while emphasizing connections between humans, nature, and the larger cosmos. Ages 3–7. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

2017-08-02
Dream stories might not be straightforward, but they can be disappointing. A child of indeterminate ethnicity dreams of being a dog and thus embarks on an unusual journey in which the dog (which bears a striking resemblance to Clifford the Big Red Dog) becomes a dinosaur, which then turns into a futuristic, Picasso-esque train, and on from there. Strangely, the dog persists as a character in the book despite its initial transformation. These illogical meanderings might be explained by the very nature of dreams, and yet the story remains difficult for young readers to follow. Equally puzzling is the visual style itself—full of miniature icons, such as a winged eyeball, musical notes, and stylized bones, and textured, patterned details but ultimately shallow and repetitive in perspective. It seems reminiscent of Native or Aboriginal stylings, but there is no apparent organic reason for its use. The story closes with the child back in bed, surrounded by toys resembling the characters from the dream (though some are left out, leaving the ending disappointingly unfinished)—a tired and overused trope in children's literature that Nakamura employs at the expense of a rich story. A messy assemblage of convenient pieces that doesn't add up to a satisfying whole. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews