A Floral Fantasy

In the spring, most of the summer and sometimes in the autumn, they are frequent visitors.  They reside in clusters or create a carpet.  Many believe there is magic attached to them.  They can be said to be predictors of wealth, grant wishes and bring joy.  It is a fact they are used as food and in beverages and for medicinal purposes.

The dandelion was named for its jagged-edge leaves; dent de lion translates to lion's tooth.  In her author illustrator debut, Dandelion's Dream (Candlewick Press, February 11, 2020), Yoko Tanaka broadens this word origin with her wondrous wordless story.  What if you, an individual dandelion in a field of dandelions, burst forth not as a blossom but a real lion?

Total disbelief fills your mind at this turn of natural events.  Then, as you gaze at your four paws and lion's body, you dash away to explore. With a leap of faith and fantasy, you ride on the lamp of a train engine.  The view is breathtaking.

Unfortunately, a gust of wind tumbles you from that perch, but fortunately you land on the back of a woolly sheep whose herd is headed toward the sea.  High in the rigging of a sailing ship, you lift your face and mane to the sun.  A kindly bird offers a wing as an umbrella when raindrops fall.

After docking at a large city, the hustle and bustle of the streets is daunting and frightening.  Gleaming lights lead to a delicious treat, and a cinematic idea fills your mind.  Your imagination takes flight until you find yourself coming full circle.  But, wait . . .

A full moon and aging companions offer one final episode in this adventure.  You join others.  You ascend to fulfill your dream.


This story by Yoko Tanaka is brilliant in conception and completion.  It's not only of the flower becoming a real lion but of the interconnectedness between each incident.  There is a flawless flow from one form of transportation to another.  There is also a beautiful blend of that which is made by human hands and that which is solely a part of the natural world.


Using a limited color palette Yoko Tanaka fashions a memorable story in her exquisite images.  On the open and matching dust jacket and book case, we first see, on the right (front), the dandelion gleefully happy at becoming a real lion.  To the left, on the back, the dandelion is in full bloom with a smaller bud extending from the left side.  This becomes the lion's tail.  Along the yellow spine are tiny dandelion seeds floating between the text.

The opening and closing endpapers are a bright yellow.  With a page turn the dark gray background is a canvas for the text of the verso and title pages and, on the right, the field of dandelions fades to the back with Dandelion about to bloom on the right.  This is the beginning of the story.

Using charcoal and coloring digitally Yoko Tanaka supplies readers with breathtaking scenes across double pages, a series of vertical panels spanning two pages, a group of square and rectangular images on a single page and full-page pictures.  Once two smaller visuals are placed over a larger picture.  These shifts in size contribute to the excellent pacing and foreshadowing.

When Yoko Tanaka wishes to express the utter bliss Dandelion is feeling, she brings us close to him but then she surprises us by giving us a panoramic view comparing his tiny size to the real world.  Every emotion experienced by Dandelion is shown on his face.  We feel a deep bond to this little flower turned king of beasts.  His openness to taking different pathways is invigorating and hopeful.

One of my many, many, favorite illustrations is a full-page picture.  It is a close-up view of the rigging on the sailing ship.  A portion of the mast and wrapped and stretched rope are shown.  On the mast sits Dandelion.  He is leaning back on his front paws.  His tail is up.  His face is upturned toward the sun.  Closed eyes and a smile on his face suggest contentment. In the background against a pale gray sky are two white birds.


Without the use of words, Yoko Tanaka in Dandelion's Dream, tells a tale readers will implore you to read to them repeatedly.  There will be moments eliciting sighs, gasps and grins.  And I expect there will be loud exclamations when the final illustration is revealed.  I can't imagine a personal or professional bookshelf without a copy of this book on it.

To learn more about Yoko Tanaka and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Yoko Tanaka has an account on Instagram. At the publisher's website you can view two stunning pages of artwork.  At Penguin Random House you can view the first five pages after the endpapers.  In 2015 Yoko Tanaka was the featured illustrator at Words & Pictures, the SCBWI British Isles Online Magazine.

Get It While You Can (Or Not)

What's a father to do when he wishes his lawn would look like a fairway at Pebble Beach in California?  He arms his two daughters with special diggers and their sand buckets for the beach.  Their task is to uproot fifty dandelions each before they can stop.  This goes on during spring and summer, day after day, year after year until they are saved by attending college.

Now you would think after spending your childhood and teen years battling the infamous yellow weeds, as an adult other measures for eliminating the menace would be taken. Nope.  To preserve the quality of water and protect her furry friend, this sister can be seen during spring and summer with digger and bucket in hand.  (Some lessons last a lifetime.)  For this reason, Dandy (Little, Brown And Company, April 1, 2019) written by Ame Dyckman with illustrations by Charles Santoso is a witty and gleeful take on the timeless battle with dandelions and of the enduring love of a father for his daughter.

Daddy spied something scary
on his perfect lawn.

He ran for his clippers.

Daddy was not fast enough.  Sweetie, his precious daughter, was already watering the dandelion.  She named it Charlotte.  Charlotte was her new best friend.  Daddy was worried, very worried, his neighborhood friends would notice the intruder growing in his otherwise flawless lawn.  They noticed.  He had to get rid of it.

As sneaky as a father can be, Daddy tried to slip away undetected during Sweetie's special times like book time and nap time.  Guess who was reading aloud to her best friend?  Guess who set up a tent in the yard next to her best friend?  The neighbors demanded action.  Daddy did his best, but his precious daughter was always there.

Soon Daddy had the ideal opportunity.  Sweetie was leaving for swimming lessons.  Goodbye Charlotte! The neighbors cheered as Daddy raced to eliminate that pesky pest.  WAIT!

Next to the dandelion was something that could not be ignored.  In the next moment an unplanned incident caused panic throughout the neighborhood.  The eternal conflict between consequences and choices must be resolved.  Take a deep breath.


Author Ame Dyckman is an absolute master of comic timing.  In her first sentence she sets us up for the charming and hilarious contrast between Daddy and Sweetie with three words:  scary, perfect and clippers.  He sees a weed.  She sees a flower.  When she names it and says it's her best friend, I dare you not to burst out laughing. 

With the continued conversations between Daddy and Sweetie and the comments of the neighborhood dads, the laughter factor continues to climb.  By repeating the utterly endearing greeting of

"Hi, Daddy!"

Ame Dyckman supplies readers with a wonderful cadence and heightens the difference between the perspective of a parent and their child.  Here is a passage.

He tried during snack time.
But Sweetie was there.
"Hi, Daddy!
We saved you a spot!"

Once again, Daddy hoped his friends wouldn't notice.


[I'm working with an F & G and can't wait to hold a finished copy in my hands.]

On the front of the dust jacket the pristine white background is a superb canvas for the portion of lawn shown, Daddy, Sweetie and the dandelion.  You immediately know there will be laughter because of the different looks on their faces; delight versus disgust.  Using grass and dandelions to form the title text is design genius.  There is a hint at the resolution.  Do you notice the clippers separating the author and illustrator names?

To the left, on the back, Daddy is zooming toward what he hopes is victory in conquering the dastardly dandelion when Sweetie is at her swimming lesson.  I won't say what tactic he's selecting, but it does take lawn tractors to a whole new level.  (Okay, I can't stop laughing . . . again.)

On the opening and closing endpapers illustrator Charles Santoso features a quiet, two-lane street curving through a neighborhood of neat-as-a-pin lawns and landscaping. Animal dads are hard at work maintaining the perfection.  There are distinct differences on the closing endpapers disclosing the conclusion. 

Rendered digitally with handmade pencil textures on top these illustrations elevate the comedy sky-high.  One of the first things readers notice are the facial expression on Daddy, Sweetie and the neighbors.  The eyes are brimming with emotion.  The body postures and movements are loaded with animation. 

Depending on the narrative Charles Santoso alters his images from double-page pictures to single-page visuals.  To show a series of actions in a short amount of time, he groups several smaller illustrations on a single page.  This builds tension and leads to the inevitable response from Sweetie.  For maximum impact the background and perspective changes. 

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when Daddy is trying to destroy Charlotte during Sweetie's snack time.  After crawling away as she scoops out some chocolate chip cookies, he races into the yard with a goat gobbling up grass.  When he arrives at Charlotte, Sweetie is there.  For this scene Charles switches to a purple background with lines of frustration in yellow zigzagging out from the center.  Daddy is gritting his teeth with his hand to his head.  In his other hand he holds the rope attached to the goat.  The goat is seated next to Sweetie holding a tea cup as Sweetie pours.  Another tea cup for Daddy is placed next to a plate with the cookies on it.  One of Charlotte's leaves is through the handle of another cup.


It is guaranteed readers will ask to read or listen to Dandy written by Ame Dyckman with illustrations by Charles Santoso over and over and over again.  And no matter how many times it is read, they (everyone) will laugh; the combination of text and art connects with readers as it addresses the age-old discrepancies between parents' and children's points of view.  It also reminds us love wins . . . always.  You will want to read the author's note.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional book collections.

To learn more about Ame Dyckman and Charles Santoso and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Ame Dyckman has an account on Twitter.  Charles Santoso has an account with Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter.  Ame is interviewed at Writers' Rumpus.  Charles is interviewed at Kathleen Temean Writing and Illustrating.

To Be Remembered

Each and every year dandelions and I have a contest; they grow and I dig them up.  (Having a canine companion, I am not one to put any kind of chemicals on my lawn; plus there is the obvious factor of herbicides and fertilizers going into the water table.)  Any observer can see who is winning depending on the section of my lawn.  There is no doubt one portion is the kingdom of dandelions; without them there would be no lawn at all.

When they change from yellow to white, the air is filled with their fluff.  You might see me mowing certain areas more than usual to capture the seeds before they can land on the lawn.  As is often the case with children's literature, authors and illustrators make you pause to see life differently.  Your perspective shifts as they expand on their distinctive "what if".  In their first children's book, The Dandelion's Tale (Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books) author Kevin Sheehan and illustrator Rob Dunlavey have insured I may have to rethink my ongoing battle with these persistent plants.

One fine summer day, Sparrow was out flying above a beautiful green meadow.  The warm sun felt wonderful against his brown, spotted feathers.

Spying a tree, Sparrow glided in to land on a branch gazing out over the field.  He saw a single dandelion that seemed to be...yes...crying.  In reply to his question, she said her sadness was caused by her change from yellow to white to only having ten tiny seed pods left.  When they were gone no one would know she had been there.

During their conversation, she asked him to take her to the other dandelions so she could speak with them.  He flew up searching for more like her, but to his dismay there were none.  Dandelion then told Sparrow if she only had one wish it would to be remembered.

Kindhearted and clever Sparrow had an idea.  He would scratch out whatever Sparrow told him in a nearby dirt patch. For hours she spoke of all she had seen.  For hours he wrote her words.  At the close of the day, he read her story to her; promising to return the next day to read it aloud again.   As you can imagine both Sparrow and Dandelion were filled with joy.

In the dark of night the weather played a cruel trick on the new friends; a dreadful storm passed through the meadow.  Daybreak brought sadness and a song.  Weeks passed, there was a story to be told...and Sparrow spoke.


Last night the tweet below appeared in my feed.

In the end, it will be the stories that will save us.
— Anne Ursu (@anneursu) June 30, 2014

In his writing of this book Kevin Sheehan tells us exactly how stories save us; they keep us connected to one another even when one or more are no longer a part of our lives.  Sheehan has fashioned an uplifting tale of not only friendship but of the power of hearing a story and telling it to others.  The rewards are rich for the teller and the listener.

His description of the circle of life through the conversation between Sparrow and Dandelion and the events as they unfold is truthful but filled with love.  Through Sheehan's words we are transported to the beauty of the meadow during the day, the storm and in the following weeks.  He takes great care to surround us with a sense of comfort.  Here are two samples.

"Write that I like the smell of the meadow the day after it rains."

Morning came, and with it, the sun rose in the sky.  Rustling the water from his feathers, Sparrow sprang from his nest and flew to the dogwood tree.


When opening the matching dust jacket and book case readers see a single image of grass, sky with wispy clouds, Dandelion and Sparrow speaking and chains of leaves around the title on the front and a brief annotation on the back.  The pale blue from the front continues as a solid color on the opening and closing endpapers.  A beautiful ring composed of dogwood blossoms, dandelions, clover, Dandelion and Sparrow circle the text on the title page.

Rendered in ink, watercolor, colored pencil, crayon and digital media the illustrations, placed on a heavy matte-finished paper, are utterly charming. Rob Dunlavey chooses to change his picture size and placement enhancing the text.  To begin there are two double-page spreads so readers can get a feel for the meadow as a whole.  When Sparrow goes down to speak with Dandelion it's a close-up of the two on a single page.

To elevate intimacy he includes numerous circular pictures, delicate in detail and color palette. The hues vary when Dandelion is telling her story to more pastel shades.  Speaking of detail, his facial features on Dandelion are precious.

My favorite two pages include four circles representing parts of Dandelion's story.  Beneath these Sparrow is seen writing the words in the patch of dirt.  It's a gorgeous extension and interpretation of the text.


The Dandelion's Tale written by Kevin Sheehan with illustrations by Rob Dunlavey is a radiant representation of friendship, storytelling, memory and love.  It has a timeless quality, a distinct feel of a classic.  It should be on every bookshelf.

For more about Kevin Sheehan and Rob Dunlavey please visit their websites by following the links embedded in their names.  John Schumacher, teacher librarian and blogger at Watch. Connect. Read. interviews Kevin Sheehan.  Julie Danielson highlights Rob Dunlavey and his artistic process for this book on her blog Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  To get a peek at a few pages inside the book, follow this link to the publisher's website.