Synopses & Reviews
"The story's rhythmic, repetitive structure makes it an excellent read-aloud. . . . Meanwhile, [Esau Andrade] Valencia's bright oil paintings evoke the joy of dreams and imagination. . . . Children of all backgrounds will enjoy it."—School Library Journal
Ninety-two-year-old Octavio Rivera is a beautiful dreamer. And lately he has been visited by some very interesting dreams—dreams about piñatas that spill their treasures before him, revealing kissing turtles, winged pigs, hitchhiking armadillos and many more fantastic things! Octavio doesn’t tell anyone about his dreams except his young granddaughter Regina because she alone understands beautiful and fantastic dreams. On the ninth afternoon Octavio prepares for his siesta hoping to be blessed with one last lovely dream. That afternoon he dreams of a sky full of sweet and perfect hummingbirds calling his name over and over again…
Like Margaret Wild’s marvelous book Old Pig, A Perfect Season for Dreaming unfolds the sweet possibilities in relationships between the very old and the very young.
Benjamin Alire Sáenz—novelist, poet, essayist and writer of children’s books—is at the forefront of the emerging Latino literatures. He has received the Wallace Stegner Fellowship and the Lannan Fellowship and an American Book Award. He teaches at the University of Texas at El Paso, and considers himself a fronterizo, a person of the border.
Esau Andrade Valencia, born in Mexico, comes from a family of folk artists. Although still young, he is increasingly recognized as a master artist in the tradition of the great painters such as Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamayo, in whose footsteps he follows. Esau's paintings are included in the collection of The Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach as well as in the Downey Museum of Art in California.
Review
"One cloudless summer, 78-year-old Octavio Riveras afternoon naps lead to a series of fantastical dreams. On the first day of the season, a single guitar whispering songs of love” bursts through a star-shaped piñata, and on the second day, two kissing turtles float across a blue sky. With each passing day, the items delivered by the piñata grow in both number and whimsy; as his dreams surround and fill him up, Octavio feels a growing need to share his dreams; but with whom?
Sáenzs treatment of reality and his rich, sensory-filled imagery evokes García Márquez, while Andrade Valencias illustrations, done in a brilliant southwestern palette, employ flat perspectives and surrealist compositions to create a visual fusion of folk art and Magritte. One lovely wordless spread finds Octavio revealing his dreams to his granddaughter Regina, and in so doing, Octavio also shares himself. While a counting book in concept, Sáenzs text is layered with multiple meanings.
Young readers will enjoy its structure, numbers and playful dreams, while more sophisticated readersand even adultswill find reasons to return to it again and again." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Sáenz's (He Forgot to Say Goodbye) haunting work, presented in English and Spanish, is part short story, part fable. Octavio Rivera, an elegant, white-haired grandfather, experiences an astonishing series of dreams that grow more complex each night: '...five coyotes dressed in mariachi outfits [were] falling out of a piñata and the coyotes were escaping from Tencha's Café on Alameda....' Valencia gives these visions an odd and wonderful dignity; his folk art illustrations lie somewhere between Frida Kahlo and Grant Wood.
Octavio longs to share his dreams, but can't tell anyone'My best friend Joe would tell me that I had indigestion and that I should stay away from eating gorditas'then realizes that his beloved six-year-old granddaughter will understand. 'You are the most beautiful dreamer in the world, Tata Tabo!' she exclaims. Children who require stories with defined contours may find the flood of images off-putting; others will respond to Sáenz's elemental warmth and rhythmic storytelling." —Publisher's Weekly, starred review
"Octavio Rivera is a dreamer. He snoozes under a tree on the first summer afternoon, and dreams of a guitar falling from a piñata. On the second afternoon, while napping on the grass, he dreams of two giant turtles falling from the piñata. As his dreams continue, he suddenly gets the urge to tell someone about them, but he cant decide who. The urge gets stronger as the days go by, and on the eighth day, after dreaming of four girls and four boys falling from the piñata, he realizes that he can talk to his granddaughter. He takes her to the park and reveals all the things he has dreamed of.
Told with poetic text and colorful, full-page acrylic illustrations filled with surreal imagery, this is an attractive bilingual title. Particularly moving is the special connection between the old man and the child. Recommended for all libraries and bookstores." —Criticas
"With the arrival of summer, seventy-eight-year-old Octavio Rivera had a feeling that he was about to have the most fantastic dreams of his life.” Each afternoon his dreams are indeed incredible, as a guitar, kissing turtles, winged pigs, coyotes dressed in mariachi outfits, and other outlandish objects fall from a giant piñata.
At first Octavio tells no one, but as his dreams become more vivid, he yearns to share them with someone he trusts...The man finally realizes that there is only one person who loves dreams as much as he doeshis six-year-old granddaughter, Regina.
Octavios bilingual story is accompanied by surreal, full-page illustrations, reminiscent of Mexican folk art. Influenced by Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamayo, plants, animals, and people fly and float through the sky in the bold acrylic paintings, while Octavio blends into his surroundings, his head becoming part of a hilltop or his body carried on the back of a hummingbird.
The traditional artwork is a fitting complement to Saenz folktale-like prose. Just like Regina, young readers will marvel at the beauty, richness, and unpredictable qualities of Octavios dreams. Readers of all ages will appreciate the sincere affection between grandfather and grandchild in this intergenerational story. A perfect book for sharing aloud." —ForeWord Magazine
"A charming new childrens story written by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. A Perfect Season For Dreaming is a story about beauty, creativity, and trust. The book is illustrated by Esau Andrade Valencia who uses warm, bright colors to portray the fantastic, creative world of dreams perfectly. This is a wonderful book for people of all ages; both parents and children will enjoy the creative story and beautiful illustrations." —Oneota Reading Journal
"A pleasant read that leaves the reader feeling as if they have just woken from their own peaceful afternoon slumber." —El Paso Scene
Review
"While a counting book in concept, Sáenzs text is layered with multiple meanings … Young readers will enjoy its structure, numbers and playful dreams, while more sophisticated readersand even adultswill find reasons to return to it again and again." Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Valencia gives these visions an odd and wonderful dignity…Children who require stories with defined contours may find the flood of images off-putting; others will respond to Sáenz's elemental warmth and rhythmic storytelling." Publisher's Weekly, starred review
"Told with poetic text and colorful, full-page acrylic illustrations filled with surreal imagery, this is an attractive bilingual title. Particularly moving is the special connection between the old man and the child. Recommended for all libraries and bookstores." Criticas
"The traditional artwork is a fitting complement to Saenz folktale-like prose. Just like Regina, young readers will marvel at the beauty, richness, and unpredictable qualities of Octavios dreams. Readers of all ages will appreciate the sincere affection between grandfather and grandchild in this intergenerational story. A perfect book for sharing aloud." ForeWord Magazine
"This is a wonderful book for people of all ages; both parents and children will enjoy the creative story and beautiful illustrations." Oneota Reading Journal
"A pleasant read that leaves the reader feeling as if they have just woken from their own peaceful afternoon slumber." El Paso Scene
Synopsis
An old man tells his granddaughter about the nine most beautiful dreams of his lifetime.
About the Author
Benjamin Alire Senz novelist, poet, essayist and writer of children's books-is at the forefront of the emerging Latino literatures. He has received both the Wallace Stegner Fellowship and the Lannan Fellowship, and is a recipient of the American Book Award. Sammy &Juliana in Hollywood, his YA novel, received the Americas Award in 2005, and was named one