Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Dunbar imaginatively transforms a seaside memory of a small boy in the ocean and a boat on the distant horizon into Arthur's adventure with a dream boat. Arthur wakes up with a boat on his head, telling his dog he's had an "amazing" dream. "Last night I dreamed about a pink-and-green boat with a striped mast," he tells his brother. When Arthur describes the boat to his mother, it has "polka-dotted sails." He adds a golden flag to the description he gives his baby sister and a "beautiful figurehead" when he describes it to his father. But no one's paying attention to Arthur or the remarkable boat that's growing larger and more elaborate atop his head. The line between dreams and reality blurs when Arthur yells, "Listen to me," and everyone must pay attention as ocean water engulfs them while Arthur sails the waves in his dream boat. Humorous, exuberant pencil-and-watercolor illustrations give visual representation to the dream boat as it adds a striped mast, polka-dotted sails, a golden flag and figurehead, mirroring details in Arthur's environment. Exaggerated facial expressions and effective use of white space trace the metamorphosis of Arthur's family from nonchalant self-absorption to amazement as waters rise and the dream boat gloriously expands. A real attention-getter. (Picture book. 2 & up)

ALA Booklist (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

Arthur wakes up after the most amazing dream about a pink-and-green boat th the boat perched atop his head. He tries telling his brother, mom, dad, and even the dog about the dream, but, in spite of the boat on his head growing larger and more intricate with each telling, nobody's listening. But soon, in a surreal twist, Arthur finds himself sailing the boat in a wide sea, with his family bobbing alongside. Now will they listen? The text here is elegant and spare, and often the only words on the page are sounds, which are rendered in a different typeface om the "Arrrhoooo" of the dog to the "Wooshh" of the waves. Dunbar's mixed-media illustrations are soft and textured and, in conjunction with the book's large trim size, heighten Arthur's dreamlike state. In the end, reality and fantasy are blurred into one; although some children may find this confusing, they likely won't mind being swept aboard Arthur's dream boat and sailing off into the sunset.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

Arthur's family members are too preoccupied to listen to his dream about a boat--or even notice that one is literally growing on his head. While sailing in the full-size vessel, he finally gets their attention when he saves them from drowning. This charming fantasy, which plays out in lilting illustrations, taps into a feeling familiar to young readers: being overlooked.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Dunbar imaginatively transforms a seaside memory of a small boy in the ocean and a boat on the distant horizon into Arthur's adventure with a dream boat. Arthur wakes up with a boat on his head, telling his dog he's had an "amazing" dream. "Last night I dreamed about a pink-and-green boat with a striped mast," he tells his brother. When Arthur describes the boat to his mother, it has "polka-dotted sails." He adds a golden flag to the description he gives his baby sister and a "beautiful figurehead" when he describes it to his father. But no one's paying attention to Arthur or the remarkable boat that's growing larger and more elaborate atop his head. The line between dreams and reality blurs when Arthur yells, "Listen to me," and everyone must pay attention as ocean water engulfs them while Arthur sails the waves in his dream boat. Humorous, exuberant pencil-and-watercolor illustrations give visual representation to the dream boat as it adds a striped mast, polka-dotted sails, a golden flag and figurehead, mirroring details in Arthur's environment. Exaggerated facial expressions and effective use of white space trace the metamorphosis of Arthur's family from nonchalant self-absorption to amazement as waters rise and the dream boat gloriously expands. A real attention-getter. (Picture book. 2 & up)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Adding to the sizable bookshelf of titles that bear witness to the power of a child-s imagination, Dunbar (the Tilly and Friends series) introduces Arthur, a boy first seen yawning and stretching after waking up from an -amazing- dream. His dream was about a boat, and Dunbar pictures it perched on Arthur-s head-dainty and white, at first, but growing in size, color, and detail in every spread. Arthur tries to share his dream with his family, but everyone is busy; meanwhile, he takes inspiration from his mother-s polka-dot dress and his baby sister-s yellow pajamas to add new elements to the boat. As nautical details appear with increasing frequency in the family-s home (his sister-s high chair looks suspiciously like a ship-s crow-s nest), Arthur gets fed up and lets loose his imagination, summoning the ocean itself and finally getting his family-s attention. With a pink and green hull, red polka-dot flag, and garish blue-haired figurehead, Arthur-s boat pops, disrupting the sherbet palette of Dunbar-s loose, free-spirited illustrations the same way Arthur-s fantasies cut through the busyness and noise of modern life. Ages 2-up. (Feb.)

School Library Journal (Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

PreS-K Arthur has a dream to describe, but no one in his family is listening. He awakens with a boat on his mind, literally, and as he approaches each oblivious person or pet, another detail is supplied to the growing vessel. The boy first mentions the "pink-and-green boat with a striped mast" to his brother. Observant viewers will notice corresponding patterns and color combinations in this room and on subsequent pages. Arthur proceeds, relaying information about the "polka-dotted sails" and "beautiful figurehead." His final exasperated attempt, expressed in an enormous font, captures his family's attention and conjures up the waves. As the water rolls in, the onlookers enjoy a swim, until the delighted protagonist eventually scoops them up in his boat for a cuddly journey home; all is forgiven. Light aquamarine or white backgrounds provide a foil for the bright red or pink designs highlighted in this persistent hero's story and surroundings. The sounds emitted after each encounter set up the potential for a call-and-response with young audiences, from the "TIPPETY-TAP, TIPPETY-TAP" of the brother's computer to the "HOO-HA-LA-DE-DA!" emanating from the dreamer's mother as she sprinkles fish food into the bowl. The large trim size allows the mixed-media compositions to be easily seen from a distance, making this a welcome choice for storytimes. Children will enjoy comparing and contrasting Dunbar's gentle fantasy to David Small's saga of another child who takes a nighttime transformation in stride: Imogene's Antlers (Crown, 1985). Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library