Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Dreaming with Rousseau
Board Book
For ages 2 to 4
Chronicle Books, 2007 ISBN: 978-0811857123
Most of us have dreams on a regular basis, and often they can be very strange things. This unique board book takes a look at the dreams that a character in a painting has. She is a young woman who is lying fast asleep in some sand dunes, a full moon glowing in the sky above her. A large lion stands next to the dozing woman.
Using some of Henri Rousseau's paintings as their inspiration, Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober narrate a dream in verse and take their readers on a magical journey through pastoral landscapes, wild jungles, and into a garden where a tiny lady stands in the shade of enormous flowers.
With beautiful language, which perfectly captures a sense of dreamlike magical unreality, the authors explore ten of Henri Rousseau's paintings, showing their readers how easy it is to make up stories about works of art. Children will discover that art is not just a picture on a page; it is also a story that is longing to be told.
This is just one in a series of beautifully produced board books created by these authors, all of which look at the work of well-known artists. In each one a captivating text written in verse is accompanied by reproductions of famous art works.
