The Guardians of Childhood: The Sandman

In the second picture-book installment in Joyce’s Guardians of Childhood series, Sanderson Mansnoozie (aka, the Sandman) is enlisted by the Man in the Moon and does battle with the Nightmare King, Pitch. With his cherubic face, cottony hair, and chubby body, Sandy is an unlikely match for the vampiric Pitch, who unleashes ghoulish nightmares to terrorize children. Joyce creates a celestial battleground of constellations, threads of stardust, and inky skies before Sandy’s shooting star crashes into the ocean, where—encountering lushly beautiful mermaids—he transforms Pitch’s nightmares into dreams. Joyce revels in this whimsical reimagining of a legendary figure; after all, when dealing in dreams, the sky’s the limit. A film based on Joyce’s series arrives in theaters November 21. Ages 4–8. Agent: Michael Siegel, Michael Siegel & Associates. (Oct.)