Hello, friends! Our book today is For Those Who Dream by Benjamin Carroll, a meditation on dreams and dreamers.

Dreams are incredible things. They are universes of limitless possibilities that exist in our very own heads, and can enable us to do and be whatever we believe! Whether it’s flying a rocket ship to outer space, scaling a mighty mountain, or being a leader that brings people together, you can be anything in your dreams. Yet the important thing is to know that dreams can take shape, and can become reality. With work, effort, and patience, each dreamer might find that their dreams can become real.

Big on style, low on substance. This indie title has lofty aspirations itself, but unfortunately falters often in the execution. The meter of the rhyming text is wildly inconsistent, frequently forcing in awkward phrases and unusual or inaccurate syntax that makes reading this one aloud extremely difficult. The message is earnest, and this does come though, but it gets lost all too often in clunky phrasing. What this title does have going for it are the gorgeous illustrations, which feature a diverse cast of children and a beautiful visual theme of beaming, golden dreams. While artwork is often the weakest element of indie picture books, these illustrations have a unique style and incredible charm. Otherwise, the length is fine for a storytime, and JJ enjoyed the soft and soothing art. This is a tough call, as two of the main elements are at odds with one another quality-wise, but overall, this one is worth a look for some beautiful artwork and a timeless, if somewhat poorly executed, theme. Baby Bookworm approved.

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the author in exchange for an honest review.)