Some book title, huh?
It takes guts to bestow such a lofty label on your debut work, but there seems to be a method behind Dallas Clayton’s madness.
Clayton penned and illustrated the psychedelic children’s picture book about dreaming big, and there’s no doubt he has equally high expectations for its future.
At first glance, An Awesome Book! appears to be a sweet bedtime story, which encourages young readers to never stop dreaming, or perhaps, more importantly, never allow anyone to limit their visions. However, as pint-sized bookworms dig deeper into the 64-page explosion of colorful images and whimsical wording, a more profound message is revealed.
An Awesome Book! is all about fantasy, bordering on hallucinations. From rocket-powered unicorns and candy cane machines to magic watermelon boats and musical baboons, Clayton’s eclectic illustrations are designed to spark young imaginations. In addition, they’re geared to discourage boring dreams which feature furniture, new hats, matching silverware, new cars that run on “regular” gas instead of jelly beans, breakfast sandwiches, telephones and cold hard cash.
Oh, the curse of dreaming about money.
That’s when you know your dreams are really dead, according to Clayton.
No, kids shouldn’t be drifting off to sleep with visions of dollar signs in their heads; rather, they should be filling their minds with big, loud dreams that sing and shout. After all, no dream is too big to come true.
You get the feeling that Clayton’s book is an example of this.
I wonder how many nights he spent dreaming of becoming a famous children’s book author/illustrator?
After reading An Awesome Book! I’ve come to realize that I am the jaded dreamer that Clayton is hoping his young fans don’t turn into.
Shame on me.
Here’s hoping the book will reinvigorate your inner dreamer or at the very least encourage your children to hold tight to hope, wonder and creativity.
To peer into the magical world that is An Awesome Book! Visit HarperCollins’ website or pick up a copy at discount retailers nationwide.
Related Articles:
Summer Reading Series: Tyler Makes Pancakes!
Summer Reading Series: Secret Agent Splat!
Summer Reading Series: Amelia Bedelia’s First Vote