A Perfect Season for Dreaming / Un tiempo perfecto para soñar

Starred review from July 28, 2008
Sáenz's (He Forgot to Say Goodbye
) haunting work, presented in English and Spanish, is part short story, part fable. Octavio Rivera, an elegant, white-haired grandfather, experiences an astonishing series of dreams that grow more complex each night: “...five coyotes dressed in mariachi outfits falling out of a piñata and the coyotes were escaping from Tencha's Café on Alameda....” Valencia gives these visions an odd and wonderful dignity; his folk art illustrations lie somewhere between Frida Kahlo and Grant Wood. Octavio longs to share his dreams, but can't tell anyone—“My best friend Joe would tell me that I had indigestion and that I should stay away from eating gorditas”—then realizes that his beloved six-year-old granddaughter will understand. “You are the most beautiful dreamer in the world, Tata Tabo!” she exclaims. Children who require stories with defined contours may find the flood of images off-putting; others will respond to Sáenz's elemental warmth and rhythmic storytelling. Ages 6–10.

April 1, 2009
K-Gr 3-During his 78th summer, Octavio Rivera begins to have the most fantastic dreams of his life. As they grow in intensity and whimsy, so grows his desire to share these visions. Of course, the only person who understands them is his imaginative six-year-old granddaughter. The English and Spanish texts allow children, families, and teachers to share this charming tale in either or both languages. The story's rhythmic, repetitive structure makes it an excellent read-aloud. For example, "On that first afternoon of summer, Octavio Rivera dreamed a Spanish guitar falling out of a piñata]whispering songs of love to a sky filled with perfect stars." "On the second afternoon of summer, Octavio Rivera dreamed two giant turtles falling out of a piñata]." Children will learn to count to 10 in both English and Spanish as they listen, which gives the story additional educational value. Meanwhile, Valencia's bright oil paintings evoke the joy of dreams and imagination. The luminous quality of his art underscores this delight and brings to mind the bright, sun-drenched light of the Southwest. The words and images also collaborate to celebrate many facets of Latino culture, from guitars and piñatas to close intergenerational relationships. While this is an excellent choice for libraries with large Spanish-speaking populations, children of all backgrounds will enjoy it."Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KY"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2009
On the first day of summer, Octavio Rivera, age seventy-eight, begins to dream. Each subsequent afternoon siesta brings visions of a pinata that releases unexpected bounty: one Spanish guitar, two giant turtles, three Italian pears, etc. Aching to tell someone about these marvels, Octavio finally remembers his little granddaughter, Regina, who also experiences dreams as if they are "good friends who visit and console you when you're lonely." Similarly attuned readers will share wholeheartedly in this bilingual picture book's wonder. Saenz's long, languorous sentences in English and Spanish beautifully evoke a dream state in which the fantastical consorts with the mundane: "On the seventh afternoon of summer, Octavio Rivera dreamed seven magic shirts falling out of a pinata and the shirts contained all the colors of the earth and they were busy chasing the little boy who had lost them." Concurrently, the text offers the comfort of predictability through a cadenced refrain: "And when Octavio Rivera woke..." Valencia's richly hued and textured surrealist tableaux depict Octavio's dreams in a way that's both accessible and inspired. Every picture is thoughtfully, creatively composed; especially resonant is a wordless double-page spread showing the dream images floating all around Octavio and Regina, uniting the two in imaginative reverie.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2009
On the first day of summer, Octavio Rivera begins to dream. He shares these visions with his granddaughter Regina, who also experiences dreams as if they are "good friends who...console you when you're lonely." Saenz's long, languorous sentences in English and Spanish beautifully evoke a dream state. Valencia's richly hued and textured surrealist tableaux are both accessible and inspired.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)