On a moonlit night a dandelion stands tall in the field of flowers. With a burst of joy he is transformed into a lion. Now the adventures can begin as the lion sets off to explore the world on his new legs. He hitches a ride on a train and lands on the back of a woolly sheep. The sheep takes him to the coast and the little yellow lion climbs in to the rigging of this masted sailing ship. He is able to shelter under the wing of a huge white bird as raindrops begin to fall. Next stop the big city which is filled with tall buildings, long legs and lots of hazards. Seeking shelter our little story hero finds himself inside a cinema sharing popcorn with a young girl.
On the movie screen, Dandelion sees some small planes and he imagines himself at the controls of his own yellow plane soaring through the endless sky. Eventually Dandelion arrives back in his field. It is time for him to transform again. This time the sky is filled with tiny seeds which, like our lion, are leaping outwards towards a new freedom.
Why are dandelion flowers called dandelions? What do dandelions dream about? Are dandelions actually lions in disguise? Have you thought about wishing on a dandelion - blowing out the seeds to make your wish?
I especially love the palette of colours used in this book. I think the yellow needs to be named "dandelion yellow". One reviewer uses the word 'cinematic' to describe the storytelling used in Dandelion's Dream. Here is an interview with Yoko Tanaka where you can see more of the art from Dandelion's Dream. It warms my heart to discover the book she didn't illustrate but wishes she had is Momo! I was excited to discover Yoko Tanaka is the illustrator of Sparrow Girl and the cover of The Magician's Elephant.
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