11/04/2019
This wordless fantasy unfolds at night, and its matte black pages contrast dramatically with stylized, crisp-edged artwork and wispy puffs of light that Tanaka (Sparrow Girl) creates in white and yellow. Over a single page turn, a dandelion in full bloom dreams it has become a miniature lion, its shining petals transforming into the lion’s mane. The lion faces readers with an antic smile and does a little dance step, delighted with its new form. It dashes joyously out into the world, drinking up new experiences: a train ride, a journey on a sheep and a sailing ship, a jarring arrival in a big city, which is improved by a trip to a movie theater (a piece of popcorn donated by a friendly girl is almost as big as the lion, who sits dwarfed by the seat). The final sequence of return to the dandelion field vaults into silent visual play that’s sudden and joyous. Set free from the rules of the physical universe, Tanaka’s solo debut plays with images and forms suggested by the natural world as the dandelion’s dream comes to an end in this short, ethereal journey. Ages 3–7. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Feb.)
In this wordless picture book, a dandelion becomes a dandy lion before he goes to seed...The art produces such strong identification with Dandelion that it will encourage young listeners to verbalize as Dandelion. A subtle lesson in life cycles underlies a book that is gently humorous, engaging, and soothing. Stunning.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
The landscapes and objects are perfectly shaded in charcoal grays and blacks, giving readers just enough detail to identify where the lion has landed. The yellow mane of the lion is reminiscent of a dandelion and acts as a frame of focus for the lion’s face, which conveys the changing moods and tone of the story. A clever and beautifully rendered wordless tale that will captivate young readers as they float along with dandelions in the circle of life.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
Set free from the rules of the physical universe, Tanaka’s solo debut plays with images and forms suggested by the natural world as the dandelion’s dream comes to an end in this short, ethereal journey.
—Publishers Weekly
Digitally colored charcoal illustrations depict the wordless journey of a dandelion...Whether his roots ever truly leave the ground or if this is all his vivid imagination, readers will have fun deciding.
—Booklist
In her first outing without a collaborator, Tanaka works in charcoal enhanced by digitally applied flashes of dusky yellow that she reserves for Dandelion's mane, tail tuft and airplane. As she did with the titular mammal in Kate DiCamillo's The Magician's Elephant, Tanaka finds bottomless humanity in the animals of Dandelion's Dream...Tanaka's point seems to be that when someone is willing to lend a hand, a dream can really take flight.
—Shelf Awareness Pro
★ 01/01/2020
PreS-Gr 1—A tiny lion materializes in a dandelion patch in this wordless picture book with dreamy and gently fantastical appeal. The dandy lion whisks off from the field and onto a train. Serendipitously finding itself thrust in one adventure after the next, the tiny lion experiences kindness from unexpected places, dodges terrifying situations among the hustle and bustle of a city, and finds joy piloting a child's toy airplane in a park. Eventually, it floats into a meadow in the countryside and becomes a dandelion puff. Vibrant yellow, colored digitally, creates a striking contrast to the dreamlike landscapes rendered in charcoal. The landscapes and objects are perfectly shaded in charcoal grays and blacks, giving readers just enough detail to identify where the lion has landed. The yellow mane of the lion is reminiscent of a dandelion and acts as a frame of focus for the lion's face, which conveys the changing moods and tone of the story. VERDICT A clever and beautifully rendered wordless tale that will captivate young readers as they float along with dandelions in the circle of life.—Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services
★ 2019-10-13
In this wordless picture book, a dandelion becomes a dandy lion before he goes to seed.
To call this book original is an understatement. Tanaka literally translates a common mispronunciation of "dandelion" into a series of pictures whose adventures unfold as in a dream. The lemon-yellow petals surrounding a comical, toothless, wide-eyed lion face glow against detailed backgrounds in grainy, gradated grays, whites, and blacks. The plant-cum-lion gazes wonderingly at the transformation of leaves into soft, clawless paws before it ventures beyond its meadow into the world beyond. As can happen in dreams, potential dangers and sorrows are thwarted by sudden changes: The threat of falling off the top of a train ends in a soft landing on the back of a sheep; when rain begins on the high seas, a bird's wing offers shelter; in a large, indifferent city, a movie theater offers respite. The paneled sequence of Dandelion inside the theater is particularly whimsical, especially when his diminutive size is contrasted with a piece of popcorn. The dream ends with realistic images of thousands of dandelion seeds sailing off into the night—and then a final image that reconnects reality and Dandelion's dream. The art produces such strong identification with Dandelion that it will encourage young listeners to verbalize as Dandelion. A subtle lesson in life cycles underlies a book that is gently humorous, engaging, and soothing.
Stunning. (Picture book. 3-6)
