DREAMING

Greenstein (Mrs. Rose’s Garden, 1996, etc.) counts backwards through ten pastoral scenes in this bedtime read. Sequentially, each page presents an image framed in rich cobalt blue—ten houses, five fluffy white clouds, three foxes—the sum total of which is a cozy little neighborhood where, nestled safely under a quilt comprised of the same images, a little dreamer lies. The text is clean yet descriptive; readers, just for a little taste, will want to reach out and pluck one of the “Four wet peaches, ripe on stems.” With the inevitable gait toward the number one that is part of the countdown structure, this quiet book will lull sleepy children into restful slumber. The folkloric paintings in muted pastels, saved from sentiment by scratched outlines and serene composition, have a rustic appeal. (Picture book. 3-7)