Just a Dream

Just a Dream by Van Allsburg is about a young boy who at first seems unappreciative of the things around him. Throughout the book he travels to many different settings in his “dreams” and by the end you can tell he is more appreciative of what he has ‘today’ rather than focusing on things he think might be in the future (robots, flying cars, etc.). I really enjoyed this read and am really growing to enjoy Van Allsburg’s work more and more. The illustrations are simple but tell a broader story. Van Allsburg uses both small and large illustrations and even though you can never really see a close up of the young boys face you can feel the emotion through each picture.

Walter is simply not an environmentalist: he’s a litterbug who sees no reason to sort trash and recycle. While he is watching a television show about the future, his next-door neighbor, Rose, is watering her birthday present: a tree. Walter thinks it’s the most ridiculous present he’s ever seen.

Walter wishes he could visit the future, and, one night, his dream comes true. But the future is not the one he envisioned. There are no personal airplanes to zip around in, no robots to take out the trash, no machines to create his favorite jelly doughnuts by the thousands. The future is not at all what he’d expected. But his new perspective on the future gives him a new dream for his own future.

Despite the vibrant illustrations in this show more children’s picture book, the story falls flat with its unexpected [and patently unrealistic] ending. Children do need to learn to care for the planet, to appreciate nature, to protect the trees. But this little story, with its glib back-to-the-past solution, fails to make the lesson one children will take to heart. show less

In a cautionary tale, a little boy who doesn’t recycle and laughs at a neighbor planting a tree dreams of the consequences of environmental apathy. Every night he is transported to a different possible future that will come from environmental neglect, like a neighborhood filled with trash or an ocean where the fisherman cannot find any fish. At the end, he mends his ways and his last dream is a positive future in a beautiful, clean yard.
I loved the creativity and unique approach of this book. It would be useful to teach inference. It would also be great for Earth Day.

Format: Picture Book
Genre: Fiction

This story is about a boy named Walter. Walter doesn't care about recycling or picking up trash, but he does think about the future. In his mind he pictures flying cars and robots doing chores. One night in his dreams he goes to the future, but it is not what he expected. He saw a future world were there is trash and trees cut down and smog filled air. This is not what he imagined. He wakes up and realizes that his trash will contribute to the future. On his birthday he even plants a tree, like his neighbor. The night of his birthday he has another dream. This time he is between two giant trees and he saw a man mowing his lawn with a powerless lawn mower. He thinks that this can't possible be the show more future. Then the man says that one of those trees was planted by his great grand mother. This proves to Walter that he is in the future. This book would be great for reading during earth day. I think it's neat how the future in this book has less pollution than the present and shows students that their actions impact the generations after us. show less

This book was a disappointment. Accustomed to the author's incredible stories and illustrations, when compared to others, this fell flat.

A boy who litters and does not help in taking care of his environment, dreams that his bed is floating above areas where the environment is destroyed, including finding a hotel at the top of Mt. Everest.

I don't do well with stories that are preachy. I'm always left wondering if these folk practice what they preach.

Perhaps I'm too critical, but I simply react to those who tell others what to do. While I use energy saving bulbs, politicians run their private jets and limos for hours, sitting on the runway or outside of the hotel after they gave a speech about an inconvenient truth.

Please do not think I show more believe Allsburg does this, I'm simply saying that my person reaction colors my thoughts and feelings about the book. show less

Well done for an earnest, moralistic environmentalist tale. Since it's set in the 90s, it's recycling or the lack of it that's going to save or destroy the world. So innocent, so naive. Beautifully illustrated of course.

I loved this book for many reasons. The first reason is because the author pushes the readers to think about the consequences of our world if we do not take care of it. For example, the author shows the outcome of a world that has been polluted. Another reason I liked this books is because of the illustrations that appear in the boy's dream. These images are captivating and realistic. The images are strong and draw the reader into the story. A final reason I like the story is the message it sends to the reader. It has a strong message which makes the reader look in their own life to evaluate their effects on the environment. I would recommend this book to all readers who want to learn more about helping the environment.