"Sendak's drawings are marvelous accompaniments to the story of David, who is like other boys during the day but who goes on flying excursions by night...This book is a rarity, sure to find a warm welcome everywhere."-Publishers Weekly
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
"At night David can fly. In the daytime he can't. In the daytime he doesn't even remember that he can. But at night, after his mother has put him to bed, he wakes up, sometimes.... It isn't flying exactly, but floating--he floats in the air." As he hovers over his parents, he can see their dreams, round and yellow, just over their heads. He can faintly see his dog Reddy's furry dream, too, before floating outside. In the moonlight, he can see mice dancing, how the vegetable garden looks in black and white, and a flock of sleeping sheep: "All of them except one are dreaming they're eating; that one is dreaming he's asleep." Throughout Randall Jarrell's dreamy, evocative prose poem we follow David in his nocturnal drifting. We hear the tender bedtime story of an owl to its owlets, until the owl--with "two big silent strokes of its wings sails away"--flies with the boy back to his house. There, he goes to sleep and wakes up to his loving mother, remembering nothing. Maurice Sendak's illustrations, which are never intrusive, capture the quiet moodiness of this piece--the final collaboration of Jarrell and Sendak before Jarrell's death in 1965. A starred review in School Library Journal says, "Jarrell writes with simple force and grace about the essential loneliness of life, but above all he is writing about love--family love, especially, which is shown to be strong and constant." (All ages) --Karin Snelson
From Publishers Weekly
David is an ordinary boy, but at night he wakes up and remembers that he can fly, something he forgets during the day. He hovers near his parents' heads, seeing their dreams, and then soars through the countryside. In the morning, his mother's dream (to make pancakes) comes true. PW called the text "lyrical, interspersed with rhymes and a long poem; this book is a rarity."
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A flight through dream land,
This review is from: Fly by Night (Paperback)
This sweet and gentle book follows a young boy through one night of dreams. You see, in his dreams he can fly...! It is a simple tale, but fanciful and comforting. I bought a copy for a friend with children. She said that they complained when she started reading it to them because it is small, not brightly colored, and Maurice Sendak's artwork is fairly sophisticated in pen and ink. But when she insisted that they stop half way through... such pleading to continue! May you, too, have such troubles.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A dream of a book,
This review is from: Fly by Night (Paperback)
Although it's told mostly in prose, this lovely little tale by Randall Jarrell, more of a vignette or meditation than a story, is poetry of the purest sort. The tone is dreamlike, and the wonderous illustrations by Maurice Sendak only enhance that tone. The world of dreams is described in crisp, precise images that evoke several of the senses at once, and the timeless quality of dreams is perfectly depicted. While it's marketed as a children's book, and certainly will be treasured by all sensitive children, it's equally enchanting for any discerning adult. Highly recommended!
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Read,
By
This review is from: Fly by Night (Spinetinglers) (Paperback)
This book was so scary and spooky. I couldn't guess what was going happen next. You must read it. You'll want to put it down but you won't be able to.
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