I don't have time to check right now, but is this Mexican Dream Stealer kin to the Dream Eater that is, I think, Japanese, and is written by Christine someone, and by Michael Ende? ?áIn any case, Fleischman knows how to write - this is both literature and adventure, told engagingly and beautifully. ?áIf only I could abide Peter Sis's art style, I'd probably give it 4.5 stars. ?áVery short - good candidate for the principal of read it twice before discussion: once to get the gist of what's going on, and once to see the language, the metaphor, the underlying story that's not quite shared. ?áFor example, in this, there's a bit of a story about Susana's family and her relationships to each of them, and their r'ships to one another... a lot could be understood about them by giving oneself time to ponder the snippets Fleischman tells us.

I have enjoyed much by Fleischman and definitely will continue to do so. ( )

A fantasy based on the Mexican folk character, the Dream Stealer. Fleishman's story introduces a very brave young heroine who is determined to get her stolen dream back. ( )

Brief Synopsis:
The Dream Stealer takes night mares away from kids, but he becomes scared of the dreams and begins stealing good dreams. He steals Susana's dream one night, but she wants it back. She ends up traveling to his castle and finding her dream, but runs into trouble along the way.

This was a very easy read, only about 45 minutes, and would be a good story for early elementary kids (ages 9+). The chapters are short and the language is simple. Based on a figurine the author obtained while visiting Mexico, he manages to bring this imaginary character of a Dream Stealer to life.

I liked the general idea of the book, although parts of the book didn't really do much for me. Due to the simplicity of the language, I felt details were left out. Overall, an easy read with an intriguing story.

Teaching Extension:
Have kids discuss dreams that they have had, and illustrate with a picture. ( )

Bravo, Fleischman. This was a spectacular story, with beautiful language and a superb story to go along with it. I adored the connection between the Dream Stealer and the little girl, each needing something from the other, though neither of them able to define what exactly that was. A very quick read, but I can't wait to read it to my children. ( )

This was a charming little story set in Mexico about a little girl called Susana, who, one night as she is having a pleasant dream about her best friend who has recently moved away, is very annoyed to find the dream has abruptly been interrupted. The culprit of course is the Dream Stealer, a strange creature with orange wings and feathers with red polka dots, green and purple spots, sharp teeth and protruding eyes like a frog's. He is meant to only steal away children's nightmares, but he's recently taken to stealing good dreams too. Susana is a clever girl, and she has every intention catching the creature and making him give her back her precious dream. It's a charming tale about facing one's fears using one's wits, and very cleverly told. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I'll be looking out for more books by Sid Fleischman, who has written more than 60 children's books, several of which he worked on with Peter Sís. He's also won a Newbery Medal among other awards. ( )