Dreamstones [Hardcover]

Maxine Trottier (Author), Stella East (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

"Those are markers to lead you home," the captain told his son. "People here call them Inukshuks. They say some are as old as time." David wondered at the lichen-covered stones stacked in human shapes, but there were so many wonders in this strange land that he gave them little thought. Then one night, when winter had gone on forever and no one had seen the sun for so very long, a sharp, quick barking woke David. He turned in his bed and looked out of the port. There, at the edge of the shore, two foxes stood in the moonlight. David climbed down the gangplank and ran across the frozen bay. The animals turned and scampered away. David followed, the foxes dancing just out of reach. At last he stopped. Behind him, the ship was gone. Ahead, the foxes melted into the night. David was alone.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-In a place where all things dream, even the sleeping stone, David dreams of going home. He and his father have traveled to the far north from England to study the creatures of the arctic landscape for the summer. A sudden storm blows in and leaves their ship snared in the ice, which does not melt until the following spring. After many days and nights of darkness, David awakens to the sound of foxes and goes outside to play with them, only to become lost, surrounded by snow and ice. A man finds him, builds a fire, and together they talk about the secrets and dreams of the animals while they wait for the sun to rise. David dozes off and when his father finds him, he is wrapped in a sealskin, lying against an Inukshuk, one of the area's stone structures stacked in human form that lead the way home. Soon after, the ice breaks and David and his father sail home, but their story lives forever as the people recount how the Inukshuk walked one special night. Children will enjoy David's adventure and his rescue. East's paintings, in vibrant hues, perfectly complement this moving tale, capturing the beauty and silence of an ice-covered land without overshadowing the story. A delightful read-aloud on a cold winter day.
Tali Balas, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The icy mystery of the frozen North is revealed in this story of a boy, David, who comes to the land of the Inuit on his father's ship. As his father draws the flora and fauna, David collects stones and bones. When the ship becomes iced in, the voyagers must stay the winter, with each day colder and darker than the one before. One night, David looks out the porthole and sees foxes running in the snow. He follows them and gets lost. He is aided by a man dressed in fur, who spends the night telling him about the secret dreams of animals. When David is found in the morning, he's lying by a dying fire, near an Inukshuk, a pile of stones that looks like a person. Fantasy and reality blend harmoniously in both text and art, yet the mix also keeps readers off balance, wondering what part of the story is real and what is a dream. East's art has a photographic look--though sacred animals appear and images fly through the air. This dreamy, evocative story will resonate most with children old enough to appreciate the mystery. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 28 pages
• Publisher: Stoddart Kids (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0773731911
• ISBN-13: 978-0773731912
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,284,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Toddler Appeal, May 11, 2004

By 

J. Towe "Quiet Place" (Bristol, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dreamstones (Paperback)

My daughter will be three years old soon. We read an average of seven books every day. Recently we began going to the local library. I chose Dreamstones because it appealed to me. I wasn't sure how my daughter would receive it. After reading it to her for a couple of nights, I decided it was a bit beyond her grasp and returned it to the library. Two days later, after reading five books, we inform her that it is time for bed. She sits up and looks around the bed, "But, where is Dream'tones?" I told her that I had returned it to the library, but we could get it again the following day. She whined a bit, clearly saddened that it was not there to read. So, obviously this is a good book for challenging your toddler beyond board books and easy reads. In addition, I think it also has adult appeal. Maybe children pick up on this and enjoy it even more because of it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully illustrated with museum quality artwork., September 19, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dreamstones (Hardcover)

When a ship from England becomes trapped in the ice in theFarNorth and forced to stay through a long and dark winter, young David is the only person to leave the ship to follow the barking of foxes. Following the foxes into a glittering darkness, David loses his way and is in danger of dying of the cold. A wise man suddenly appears at the top of the hill, offers David safety, the warmth of fire, and the mystery of secrets and dreams. When David's father finds his lost son, David is asleep by the fire, sheltered by an Inukshuk (a stack of stones in the rough outline shape of a man). Dreamstones is a captivating picturebook story by Maxine Trottier written for young readers ages 4 to 8, and that is wonderfully illustrated by the museum quality artwork of Stella East.