Māori creators Steph Matuku and Zak Ātea make their U.S. debuts with The Dream Factory, an inventive, imaginative, and inspirational picture book folktale.
The dream factory stands at the edge of a town. When the sun sinks behind the hills, the dream machine switches on. "Dream mist in all different colors" pours out of the factory windows, drifts over town, and gifts the townsfolk with dreams "of riding unicorns, and swimming with mermaids." When the dreamers awaken, they paint, bake, sing, and invent. Then a "curious kererū" (wood pigeon) accidentally drops a feather into the dream machine, breaking it. That night, "dream mist in swirling gray and black" pours out of the windows and drifts over town. The next morning, after an evening dreaming of "unicorns with too many horns, and slimy mermaids with long, sharp teeth," the people decide to shut down the factory. The dreams stop, and so too does art and invention. It is only the kererū who can bring life back to the dream machine.
The world visualized here features people from different cultures--most with brown skin, some with traditional Māori tattoos--a variety of legendary creatures, and riotously colored architecture and clothing. The kererū is treasured in Māori culture and sometimes considered a symbol of transformation; the bird is the only consistent spot of vibrant color as the palette goes from technicolor to drab shades that match a lackluster life without art, creativity, and scientific exploration. With the return of "wonderful dreams" comes a return to explosive color. The Dream Factory--with soothing text and bountifully creative illustrations--should prove an excellent bedtime read. --Melinda Greenblatt, freelance book reviewer