Bibliography
Wong, J. 2000. Night Garden: Poems from the World of Dreams. Ill. By Julie Paschkis. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. ISBN 1416968164
Plot Summary
In fifteen short poems, Janet Wong articulates the world of dreams that we all have experienced. Dreams about food, friends, pets, flying, and swimming are depicted. Even the unpleasantries of nightmares are noted. Each poem is encompassed with elaborately illustrated peculiar creatures such as monsters, animals walking upright, and humans with the heads of fruits or beasts.
Critical Analysis
Janet Wong’s Night Garden: Poems from the World of Dreams captures the many facets of the dream world. The use of rhyming and alliteration express the feeling and tone of each dream. Each poem is shortly composed; however, her use of description words leads the reader to understand an even deeper meaning. Even in My Sleep seems to be a metaphor for something the poet is experiencing in real life. “You monster, you monster, You monster, how can I ever forgive you, you who would rob be even in my sleep.” It appears that the poet cannot even escape this so-called monster in their life, not even in their dreams.
Wong’s use of repetition enhances what she is trying to say in her poetry. Similar to Even in My Sleep, Nightmare also uses repetition to evoke a feeling of terror in the reader. “Will sneak into the back of your mind, will follow you, will follow you, down the hall to your cold dark room, down the hall to your cold dark room.” Because of this repetition, the reader can tell that these feelings are real and meant to scare you.
Julie Paschkis’s illustrations accompany the poetry delightfully. The book pages are mainly comprised of the illustrations, with only a small section dedicated to the actual poems. The pictures are loud and busy, which almost detracts from the poetry. Old Friend is a very short poem that has a smart and charming illustration with it. “I had forgotten you, friend. Is that why you came into my dream? I had forgotten you. When I fall asleep again, will you leave your address on my pillow?” The illustration for this poem had a young boy asleep on a pillow that was designed as a giant postcard. This simple figure conveyed innocence and the need for friendship. In Dog Dreams, Wong describes what dogs may dream about as they slumber. The illustrations for this poem are especially fanciful. Paschkis creates dogs flying through space, sitting on the moon, and dancing under trees of dog bones. I have never thought about what my dog may be dreaming of, but I think this poem may be spot-on.
Review Excerpts
Publishers Weekly
The artist responds to each poem with a multicolor image framed within a monochromatic, repetitive motif. She creates a host of weird creatures, from a hunched man in a long-nosed white mask to a turnip-headed being with pea-pod arms; to indicate the mysterious workings of the imagination, she shows strange flowers sprouting from a restful figure. Paschkis's swirling imagery and Wong's quiet yet haunting words skillfully simulate the reveries they recount.
School Library Journal
The poems use sound qualities-repetition, alliteration, and occasional rhyme-to capture each dream. Even poems about nightmares and anxieties are couched in gentle language that evokes wonder and thoughtfulness rather than fear.
Connections
Teachers can have their class create a “dream book.” Students will create different poems that describe dreams they have had. Students can use different methods like rhyming, alliteration, and repetition to create certain feelings, like Janet Wong did.
Additional recommended books:
*The Rainbow Hand: Poems About Mothers and Children by Janet Wong
ISBN 1416968415
*Knock on Wood: Poems About Superstitions by Janet Wong
ISBN 0689855125
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