Zhu, Xiaowen. Dandan’s Dream. Reycraft Books, 2020. 978-1-478-86853-8. 32 p. Grades K-2. 

Thanks to a new Post Office policy stating “that children, in addition to letters and packages, could now be mailed” a young Chinese girl sets off on an adventure to mail herself to the South Pole. Wanting to visit her father, Dandan cashes in the contents of her piggy bank and creates a new skirt composed of stamps for her voyage. Not long after, the wind carries her over the ocean where she spies a ship filled with people in peril thanks to a huge blue whale. After stopping to save the day, Dandan has to create new stamps in order to continue her journey to the land of penguins, seals, and Dad waiting in his green coat. Filled with fantasy and childlike joy, Dandan is an inspiring protagonist with spunk, creativity, and compassion. Yangling Gong’s illustrations filled with deep colors and rich texture enhance the dreamlike state of this modern day fairytale. Occasionally, emboldened and enlarged text emphasizes the storyline while brief sentences and engaging illustrations will make this a joy to read aloud.

THOUGHTS: This joyful, fantastical adventure picture book has all of the elements of a must-buy for elementary library collections.

Picture Book          Jackie Fulton, Mt. Lebanon SD