Last Night I Dreamed of a Circus

by Maya Gottfried, Paintings by Robert Rahway Zakanitch

Knopf, January, 2003.
Picture Book, 32 pages.
ISBN: 0375823883
Ages 4-8

Last Night I Dreamed of a Circus by Maya Gottfried, Paintings by Robert Rahway Zakanitch "Last night I dreamed a circus. I spun circles round the stars. And juggled a rose garden." So begins Maya Gottfried's lyrical poem in which the narrator dreams of her trip to the circus. Illustrated by noted watercolorist Robert Zakanitch, the story follows a dreamscape that is exotic, but not scary. The watercolor paintings of the circus performers are executed with vibrant colors against a black background, making the images really pop. The trapeze artists seem as if they are really flying, as the text continues "And I fell through the air. And flew." The clowns are more funny than frightening and the animals, from dogs jumping through hoops to an elephant in full regalia, are all full of life. This is a beautifully rendered book which will delight any child.

Last Night I Dreamed of a Circus is available for purchase on Amazon.com

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This review was published in the March, 2003 of The Internet Writing Journal.

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