Customer Reviews

When Kids Dream and Trucks Fly

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once upon a time, kids went outside to play. They played until the sun went down and mom called them in to eat dinner, with their families, at the kitchen table. Among their toys - dolls, balls, sticks and blocks - the most important ingredient for fun was a great imagination.

When Kids Dream and Trucks Fly, a wonderful new children's book by author and educator Rosemary McDunn, harkens children back to the days when make-believe reigned. Tom and Rose, brother and sister, are best friends and playmates. They love to head outside to play on an old flatbed truck, which is their favorite venue for adventure. Together, they face storms and sharks, battle pirates, search for treasure and save each other from make believe disaster a time or two. Their truck doubles as a jungle hideaway, a covered wagon headed west, or anything else they can imagine. Fun abounds, with bright and colorful illustrations and rhyming imagery to illustrate McDunn's message, which encourages children to let their imaginations soar.

Once young readers have shared Rose and Tom's tale, an interactive section at the back of When Kids Dream and Trucks Fly engages young minds in drawing, matching puzzles, fill in the blank vocabulary exercises and more.

Rosemary McDunn, through When Kids Dream and Trucks Fly reinforces for children and their parents the importance of imagination. "Imagination is a wonderful treasure. Let your imaginations make every day of your life a magical journey!" encourages McDunn.

The world in which our children live today is a different place from my own girlhood in the `70s. Safety concerns necessitate adult supervision of young children's play. But books like When Kids Dream and Trucks Fly remind grown ups that it is our duty, indeed our gift to our children, to give them space and tools to let imagination and make-believe be a part of their childhood.

As an elementary teacher, I have found that children do not use their imaginations as much as kids of the past did. Video games and complex toys are great in moderation, but they often take up all the playtime children get. This steals time from playing pretend and learning to think creatively...necessary skills for social and academic development.

"When Kids Dream and Trucks Fly" encourages kids to take this time back. The source of imaginative play in this story is a flatbed truck. To the main characters, it is a much loved play place. They can imagine it into whatever they wish. This truck reminds me of a blank piece of paper or a large empty box-nothing special to some, but to others, a treasure with infinite possibilities.

In addition to its relevant topic, this book is very charming. It takes the reader/audience through the adventures of the main characters, includes colorful illustrations, and even rhymes! At the end of the story, activity pages are included to enforce vocabulary and allow children to use their imaginations to complete pictures. This book would make a welcome addition to any child's collection or classroom!

What a fabulous children's book! The graphics are bright and colorful and I found the story to be so endearing -- down to earth, the way children were meant to play -- full of imagination and make-believe -- activities that seem to be eluding children more and more. I loved the idea of the author's inclusion in the back of the book of activity pages for the kids to do. Hopefully, this book will become a cherished all-time favorite for children. Looking forward to the author's next children's book!