DREAM ON

The author of The Practical Witch’s Spell Book (2018) advises young readers on how to understand their dreams.

Blithely dispensing with source notes, Greenleaf opens by talking up the purposes and value of dreaming, then goes on to link common dream elements, such as turning invisible, appearing naked in public, flying, and encountering different sorts of animals, to arbitrary personality traits or unfinished business in the waking world. She addresses her “Dear Reader” in astrological-style generalities, and her brand of symbology is anything but subtle—seeing vampires, for instance, is “often interpreted as a sign that there is something in your life that is draining you,” having surgery hints at irritants that “need to be cut out,” and being decapitated is “often a sign that there is a disconnect between your head and your heart.” Those who feel their dreams to be insufficiently vivid will find fresh imagery, from losing teeth or going blind to feeling shards of glass in the mouth, and for wakeful DIY sorts, Greenleaf also provides basic instructions for projects like making a soothing bath soak. Occasional multiple-choice quizzes, including one with recommendations for healing crystals, lead to a closing quiz designed to test newly acquired interpretive skills. Following an opening view of a multihued group of sleeping children curled up together against a starry backdrop, Le strews equally diverse figures through brightly colored dreamscapes and abstract vignettes.

Entertaining speculation about dreams, but for a more serious treatment of the topic, look elsewhere.