SWEET DREAMS DOUGLAS

Douglas, a fidgety yellow-beige pup, does all he can to delay bedtime. When he finally settles down, his mother wishes him "sweet dreams." "Do I dream?" Douglas wonders. In subsequent spreads, he asks other animals what they dream about. "A pastrami and fly sandwich, please," says a frog. "A carrot castle for me!" says a rabbit. Douglas samples these reveries for himself; an amusing wordless sequence shows him unsuccessfully "snuggling under a cozy rock," as a fish recommends. When he decides he would prefer a giant birthday cake or football glory instead, he suddenly awakens and realizes he has been dreaming all along. His animal friends derive from the toys and pictures scattered about his room. This chipper outing is told entirely in dialogue and pictures. The pedestrian black typeface, floated on the page to represent the voices, calls out for a graphic designer. Yet this is an affable endeavor, thanks to Dunnick's nice handling of the grainy line illustrations, soothing pastel palette and spicy highlights of fire-engine red. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)