Remember to Dream, Ebere

August 2, 2021
Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Erivo presents an endearing bedtime story in dialogue that will ring true for many children and their guardians. Ebere, a Black girl who wears glasses, has a difficult time sleeping through the night. As her mother patiently encourages Ebere to “dream some more,” after each successive wake-up chat, Ebere envisions a rocket ship, one that grows to be “as big as two houses—and as red as a fire engine,” named The Light Chaser, and has Ebere as its captain. Barlow’s illustrations, created digitally with handmade watercolor textures, provide an engaging visual divide between the fantastical dream space and the warmth of home through layers of soft color and light. A tender, well-paced model of an enduringly supportive parent-child relationship, and an encouraging reminder to keep building upon one’s dreams. Back matter features an author’s note. Ages 4–8.

September 1, 2021

PreS-Gr 1-"You'd better go back and dream some more," Ebere's mother tells her patiently. Ebere is a young, pajama-clad Black girl with locs and glasses, whose vivid dreams of rocket ships keep her up at night. In this loving tale, Ebere sweetly shares her dreams with her mother, and is given nothing but encouragement to go back to sleep and dream even bigger. Soft watercolor illustrations depict details of Ebere's warm home life and dog, as well as her dream visions of a red rocket named The Light Chaser and the colorful starry skies that surround it. The bedtime routine may seem familiar for many families and is perfect for parents and caregivers to read aloud to their children. A note from the author concludes Erivo's debut picture book, counseling young readers to dream "Big, Big Gargantuan dreams in the brightest colors." VERDICT This inspirational bedtime story, with appeal for fans of Kobi Yamada and Andrea Beaty, would be a welcome addition to every collection.-Monisha Blair, Glasgow M. S., Alexandria, VA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 Ebere is a precocious Black girl with the ability to dream big--if only her mother can get her to go to sleep. After being tucked in, Ebere drifts off long enough to dream of a rocket ship. Then, up she pops, eager to tell her mother all about it. Mom has this routine under control, however, and interestedly asks her daughter for more details about the ship. When Ebere can't answer her questions, clever Mom tells her, "You'd better go back and dream some more." This pattern continues every time Ebere dreams up an answer to one of her mother's questions, until the story ends with the two together in Mom's bed, and Ebere's rocket ship complete with the girl as its captain. Barlow does a lovely job of capturing the sweetness of the story and Ebere's big imagination in the digital illustrations, which feature soft pastel shades, bright patterns, and handmade watercolor textures. Erivo's message to youngsters to dream big comes through loud and clear in this simple but tender bedtime story.

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