Week Three: The Dreamer

The Dreamer

by Pam Muñoz Ryan

illustrated by Peter Sís 

Summary

    The Dreamer is the story of a young boy, Neftalí, growing up in Chile. Neftalí spends most of his time indoors writing, drawing, and dreaming, much to the chagrin of his macho, authoritarian father. Neftalí is artistic and imaginative and wants to be a writer when he grows up. He sees poetry all around him, in the rainforest where his father works, at the beach during vacation, and in the wild swans he cares for. As Neftalí grows up he begins to work for his uncle's newspaper, writing essays and poetry to be published. He attends college, discreetly studying literature and poetry, and to avoid getting in trouble with his father, Neftalí begins going using the pen name, Pablo Neruda. 

APA Reference 

Muñoz Ryan, P. (2010). The dreamer. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. 

My Impressions

     Muñoz Ryan integrates poetry and utilizes the illustrations of Sís to create a multidimensional story about a boy who has a dream and overcome obstacles to achieve this dream. It's uplifting, informative, unique, and motivating. Muñoz Ryan's and Sís' attention to detail is great- the book is printed in green ink, Neruda's trademark- make the book feel that much more meaningful and encouraged me to slow down and appreciate each aspect of the book. 

Review

    Booklist reviewer Ian Chipman regards both Pam Muñoz Ryan's story and Peter Sís' illustrations highly in their collaboration creating a "stirring" fictional portrait of Pablo Neruda's life. He describes Muñoz Ryan's narrative as, "eloquently evok[ing] the sensation of experiencing the world as someone savors the rhythms of words and gets lost in the intricate surprises of nature." And for Sís' illustrations he states, they "complement and deepen the lyrical quality of the book." Finally, Chipman attributes it to being "classic", "elegant", "deeply rewarding" and "eminently readable."

Chipman, I. (2010). The dreamer [review of the book The dreamer]. Booklist. Available from http://www.booklistonline.com/The-Dreamer-Pam-Munoz-Ryan/pid=3796096

Library Use

   The Dreamer could be included in a display or recommended to kids who are aspiring writers or artists. It could also be included in a program for National Hispanic Heritage Month.