“Nolan’s enchanting artwork creates a gorgeous, wordless nautical fantasy infused with the thrill of life-or-death adventure. On a cloudless day at the beach, a girl builds a sand castle that, as the sun sets, is overtaken by the tide; readers soon see a puzzling glow of light in one of the castle’s windows, where a family appears to be stranded. Nolan portrays the Lilliputian family’s fraught journey in a series of luminous double-page scenes, as they navigate roiling, sea-green waves in a crude boat, with a seagull as their guide. The family finds refuge on a rocky island where Nolan offers paintings of shells and starfish as beautiful as they are accurate. Readers will never look at the beach the same way.”
Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review
“Double-page spreads immerse readers in a fantastical world studded with gem-like pleasures: Miniature mermaids frolic with seahorses, the shipwrecked family forage among towering seashells, starfish and seaweed, their washed-up girl feeds a seagull baby, standing on tippy-toes to reach its beak. These striking, imaginative scenes, rendered in a pleasingly realistic style, make for a magical read. Children will surely shout, “Cool!” many times reading such a cinematic, arresting picture book, but they will also diligently peruse the richly detailed illustrations that ultimately make this modern fairy-folk tale so engaging. And then there’s its embedded question, one as slippery as a fish and as old as the ocean: Was it all a dream or real? One thing’s certain: It's magic.”
Kirkus Review Starred Review
“Nolan’s luscious double-page spread paintings capture all the qualities of an ocean setting: the crystal clear blues of daytime; the orange, red, and purple sky as the sun goes down; the deep turquoise and mighty power of the ocean waves; the dark blues of a starry night sky. In an ode to the beauty and mystery of the sea through imaginative storytelling and stunning art, Nolan allows readers to feel as if they are experiencing this dream-world finished.”
Horn Book Magazine
“Readers who prefer nonverbal adventures – and the best of picture books do render words superfluous – might want to start with Sea of Dreams, a magical oceanside fantasy by award-winning author and illustrator Dennis Nolan.”
Christian Science Monitor
