A Dream For Every Night

By Angela Casabene & Camille Manley

Reviewed by Mia Macrossan

Angela Casabene is the author of the picture book All You Can Be, a book encouraging children to fulfill their potential. Now she has teamed up with Camille Manley, a Gold Coast artist who has illustrated Goodnight, Toes, Tabitha Finds Her Feet and Bailey Finch Takes a Stand.

A Dream For Every Night is a joyous big book of more than 160 stories that aims to inspire children to think about what they will dream about that night. Each story is short, only one page so perfect for bedtime reading. The aim is to ‘spark the beginning of a dream that will carry the dreamer into the night.’ Exploring this book could become a loved part of a child’s bedtime ritual. There is so much scope for the imagination here, especially as many stories are open ended,  that children can return again and again to favourite dream topics.

The stories are grouped under headings so a child can choose what they would like to hear. They include perennially popular topics such as Animals, Food, Holidays, Magic, and Celebrations but also include explorations of Time Travel, Secret Doors, Fame and Artsy Surprises and more.

Artsy Surprises includes A Real Book, A Piano on the Ceiling, Lively Statues, An Amazing Show and Share, Art Gallery Surprise, and Playing With Clay, so you can see that the subjects range far and wide. There is something in this book to interest every child. I think my favourite section is Cool Jobs which include a Dinosaur Doctor, an Animal Cuddler and a Plumage Painter for when flamingos lose their brilliant pink colour and need re-painting.

Camille Manley has done a splendid job of illustrating the great variety of topics. No two pages are the same, colour abounds, and the different fonts add energy and emphasis where needed. Each page has its own zest and zing which makes it particularly attractive to just dip into and find your dream for the night.

Perfect for parents but also useful for teachers who may like to use the plentiful ideas here as story prompts.

Affirm Press 2024

Angela Casabene

Camille Manley