cover image Remember to Dream, Ebere

Remember to Dream, Ebere

Cynthia Erivo, illus. by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow. Little, Brown, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-316-49615-5

Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Erivo presents an endearing bedtime story in dialogue that will ring true for many children and their guardians. Ebere, a Black girl who wears glasses, has a difficult time sleeping through the night. As her mother patiently encourages Ebere to “dream some more,” after each successive wake-up chat, Ebere envisions a rocket ship, one that grows to be “as big as two houses—and as red as a fire engine,” named The Light Chaser, and has Ebere as its captain. Barlow’s illustrations, created digitally with handmade watercolor textures, provide an engaging visual divide between the fantastical dream space and the warmth of home through layers of soft color and light. A tender, well-paced model of an enduringly supportive parent-child relationship, and an encouraging reminder to keep building upon one’s dreams. Back matter features an author’s note. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)