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Every Dreaming Creature
Perfect for bedtime or at any time, here is a visually stunning exploration of animal senses through dreams, from Caldecott Honoree and New York Times bestselling creator Brendan Wenzel.
Welcome to a magical world of endless curiosity. You are a sleeping salamander. A dancing octopus. A speeding falcon...even a sneaking tiger and playful human child. As one dream slips into another, every page turn immerses you in the sensory wonder of the world and all its creatures, from the ocean depths to soaring skies, and everything in between. Each creature dreams and experiences life in a different way. Each is connected despite their differences.
Poetic and universal in its gentle message of interconnectedness, Every Dreaming Creature yields deeper meaning with every read, offering new discoveries hidden within the acclaimed artist Brendan Wenzel’s dazzling, vibrant artwork.
Welcome to a magical world of endless curiosity. You are a sleeping salamander. A dancing octopus. A speeding falcon...even a sneaking tiger and playful human child. As one dream slips into another, every page turn immerses you in the sensory wonder of the world and all its creatures, from the ocean depths to soaring skies, and everything in between. Each creature dreams and experiences life in a different way. Each is connected despite their differences.
Poetic and universal in its gentle message of interconnectedness, Every Dreaming Creature yields deeper meaning with every read, offering new discoveries hidden within the acclaimed artist Brendan Wenzel’s dazzling, vibrant artwork.
34 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 2023
About the author
Brendan Wenzel
20 books179 followersBrendan Wenzel is an author and illustrator based in upstate New York. His debut picture book, They All Saw a Cat, was a New York Times bestseller and the recipient of a 2017 Caldecott Honor. An ardent conservationist, he is a proud collaborator with many organizations working to ensure the future of wild places and threatened species.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
November 23, 2023
Another glorious book by Caldecott award winner, Brendan Wenzel. An art illustration from this book was chosen by a jury at the Society of Illustrators for their current Original Art display. I was lucky enough to see it in person. Extraordinary book. Extraordinary art. A definite must have for every classroom, library and home collection.
March 17, 2024
I am a fan of Wenzel's art, and I particularly enjoyed his transitions from one animal to another: a diving falcon moving so fast the buildings in the background merge into the orange and black stripes of a tiger.
However, the text became a bit frenzied with the repetition of "Then there I was."
Of course it was a human that became every dreaming creature.
Hopefully, this will inspire more humans to put themselves in the mind of other creatures, and perhaps they will stop destroying them and their habitats.
However, the text became a bit frenzied with the repetition of "Then there I was."
Of course it was a human that became every dreaming creature.
Hopefully, this will inspire more humans to put themselves in the mind of other creatures, and perhaps they will stop destroying them and their habitats.
November 2, 2023
Ever since I met Brendan Wenzel at a conference, I have fallen more in love with his illustration style. It has this ethereal quality to it that I just love. With Every Dreaming Creature, I felt as if I was dreaming and sleeping and imagining animals. It was lovely
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January 11, 2024Beautiful illustrations. More and more I think picture books aren't really geared twords children, especially with the words.....too "poetic" for preschoolers to grasp the concept.
October 10, 2023
Brenden Wenzel’s books are often about perspective, as is this newest one. Here, he takes that theme in a different direction, exploring creativity and imagination. A child narrator describes what it feels like as they dream about being different animals but get disturbed by “you,” who might be a parent. But ultimately seeks more dreams to imagine and wonder and explore.
October 5, 2023
As always, Brendan Wenzel's visuals stun.
October 25, 2023
Stunning.
December 22, 2023
This originally appeared in Grandpappy's Corner at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
WHAT'S EVERY DREAMING CREATURE ABOUT?
That's how the book opens—and that "safe, snug spaces", "warm, wet blanket" and "secrets from the soil" won me over. The "I" there slips from dreaming they're a salamander, to an octopus, to animal after animal—elephant, falcon, chameleon, and so many others.
There's no sense or narrative arc to the transitions—like a good dream—but it all works in the moment, sure, why not go from salamander to octopus? (again, like a good dream). The book gives you just enough of an idea of the dream before it goes off to another transition.
Then the morning breaks, the "I" goes out to play before starting the sequence again.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ART FOR A MINUTE
Like with most books like this, it's the art that caught my attention.
Okay, not true. My attention was grabbed by the bookstore owner eagerly pointing at it and telling me that it was new and describing the book. But after that, it was the art.
You might as well be looking a photographs or films shot through cotton, they're so fuzzy and soft. It's hard to describe, really—but it's comfy and cozy, and you might as well be looking at warm blankets and downy pillows. I really felt like I was snuggling up with it. Two of the pictures of that salamander in particular (and I could use almost every animal described) looked like they could've been made from felt—like they were something that Jim Henson worked on.
Here are a couple of samples. Tell me you can't practically feel the fuzzy tiger for...(there are more to be found on the Publisher's page)
HOW IS IT TO READ ALOUD?
There's something about this book's subject, art, and prose that almost requires you to read this in a quiet, hushed tone—not quite a whisper, a little louder, but not much.
Without noticing, you'll be reading quietly like you're trying to put someone to sleep. Even if there are no children around and you're just sitting down to read a couple of lines as a sample. (my dog looked a little dozy as I wrapped up, or at least I'm going to pretend that's true).
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT EVERY DREAMING CREATURE?
I came for the art, I stayed for the prose, and the...not quite story. But the atmosphere? The ideas? Eh...whatever the prose is trying to get across.
This is about as close to perfect as you're going to get for a "snuggle-up with the grandchild and help them slip off to Dreamland" book. It won me over, I think it will win you—and whatever child/grandchild/amped-up lab mix you're reading to, too.
I've never heard of Wenzel before, but I imagine I'll be grabbing more of his books soon.
---
I had a dream I was a sleeping salamander.
All the world was safe, snug spaces and a warm, wet blanket of decaying leaves.
Secrets from the soil tickling my hands and soft belly.
WHAT'S EVERY DREAMING CREATURE ABOUT?
That's how the book opens—and that "safe, snug spaces", "warm, wet blanket" and "secrets from the soil" won me over. The "I" there slips from dreaming they're a salamander, to an octopus, to animal after animal—elephant, falcon, chameleon, and so many others.
There's no sense or narrative arc to the transitions—like a good dream—but it all works in the moment, sure, why not go from salamander to octopus? (again, like a good dream). The book gives you just enough of an idea of the dream before it goes off to another transition.
Then the morning breaks, the "I" goes out to play before starting the sequence again.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ART FOR A MINUTE
Like with most books like this, it's the art that caught my attention.
Okay, not true. My attention was grabbed by the bookstore owner eagerly pointing at it and telling me that it was new and describing the book. But after that, it was the art.
You might as well be looking a photographs or films shot through cotton, they're so fuzzy and soft. It's hard to describe, really—but it's comfy and cozy, and you might as well be looking at warm blankets and downy pillows. I really felt like I was snuggling up with it. Two of the pictures of that salamander in particular (and I could use almost every animal described) looked like they could've been made from felt—like they were something that Jim Henson worked on.
Here are a couple of samples. Tell me you can't practically feel the fuzzy tiger for...(there are more to be found on the Publisher's page)
HOW IS IT TO READ ALOUD?
There's something about this book's subject, art, and prose that almost requires you to read this in a quiet, hushed tone—not quite a whisper, a little louder, but not much.
Without noticing, you'll be reading quietly like you're trying to put someone to sleep. Even if there are no children around and you're just sitting down to read a couple of lines as a sample. (my dog looked a little dozy as I wrapped up, or at least I'm going to pretend that's true).
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT EVERY DREAMING CREATURE?
I came for the art, I stayed for the prose, and the...not quite story. But the atmosphere? The ideas? Eh...whatever the prose is trying to get across.
This is about as close to perfect as you're going to get for a "snuggle-up with the grandchild and help them slip off to Dreamland" book. It won me over, I think it will win you—and whatever child/grandchild/amped-up lab mix you're reading to, too.
I've never heard of Wenzel before, but I imagine I'll be grabbing more of his books soon.
December 15, 2023
Many people will like the dreaminess of this book. It has very intriguing illustrations which are sometimes beautiful, sometimes breathtaking. The color palette is cozy and wild and calming and exciting. Some of the text, especially in the middle, is very beautifully written, and sometimes fun to say. It contains lots of specific verbs. It has a clear beginning, middle, and end in the pacing. It has a circular ending which is also meant to make it relatable tot eh target audience. Fans of Brendan's work will probably want to own it. If you follow my reviews, you have a sense of my taste and know that this would not be a book I would seek out for my kids. If there was deeper meaning, I missed it. There is very little premise. It consists of a repetitive refrain which speeds up or varies with the read-aloud pacing. The text does achieve a dream-like almost lullaby quality which some parents will want to include in their bedtime rituals.
October 18, 2023
Gauzy and appropriately dreamlike, a sleeper wanders through a variety of dreams in which they imagine themselves as animals ranging from elephants to hummingbirds.
October 12, 2024
Dream succeeds dream in this lovely picture book from talented author/illustrator Brendan Wenzel, as one animal after another parades past in all their splendor. As the narrator moves from one dreamy creature to the next, from a salamander sheltered by leaves to an octopus with dancing tentacles, an elephant on a communal journey to a tiger on a solitary hunt, the reader follows along and eventually discovers that it is a young child dreaming his way through these different creatures' experiences...
Published last year (2023), Every Dreaming Creature is the tenth picture book I have read from Wenzel—five of the earlier ones were illustrated by him for other authors, while four were both written and illustrated by him—and like his Caldecott Honor-winning They All Saw A Cat , it addresses questions of perception and experience. Here the narrator/child's perspective moves from one animal to the next, with poetic and dreamy text and gorgeous artwork. There were a few moments, textually, that really stood out to me—as when the octopus is described as experiencing "bursts of wonder tingling down the minds of my arms"—and I found the artwork just lovely. I don't know that this quite lives up to some of this creator's earlier books—particularly Hello Hello (my personal favorite) and They All Saw A Cat —but it is certainly well worth seeking out, both for admirers of Brendan Wenzel, and for picture books readers looking for dreamy bedtime books featuring the wonderful animals of the world.
Published last year (2023), Every Dreaming Creature is the tenth picture book I have read from Wenzel—five of the earlier ones were illustrated by him for other authors, while four were both written and illustrated by him—and like his Caldecott Honor-winning They All Saw A Cat , it addresses questions of perception and experience. Here the narrator/child's perspective moves from one animal to the next, with poetic and dreamy text and gorgeous artwork. There were a few moments, textually, that really stood out to me—as when the octopus is described as experiencing "bursts of wonder tingling down the minds of my arms"—and I found the artwork just lovely. I don't know that this quite lives up to some of this creator's earlier books—particularly Hello Hello (my personal favorite) and They All Saw A Cat —but it is certainly well worth seeking out, both for admirers of Brendan Wenzel, and for picture books readers looking for dreamy bedtime books featuring the wonderful animals of the world.
April 26, 2024
Wow. I don’t love the illustration medium (there is a computer-generated quality about it that I don’t like), though some of the fuzzy images do add to the dreamy atmosphere of the entire book. What really stands out to me is the Easter Eggs, clues, and whispers of various animals past and future throughout the illustrations. Especially on the page with the secret salamander hiding across various animal panels! Every page has hints of different animals melding into different animals, and children will delight in searching for them all. Some of them are unclear, which will allow children to imagine what they might be. This is for sure an artistic achievement. I think children will identify with having interesting dreams, though I feel like the writing was a bit abstract for their level of understanding—though I think they’ll be able to follow along just with the pictures.
July 18, 2023
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for my honest opinion.
To be honest, I'm not totally sure what this book is about but I still love it. I think it is about how all animals dream and have dreams and since humans are also animals we are a part of that. Due to the "I" and "you"s in the text, I also get a feeling of new baby symbology, how parents were their own individual with their own dreams until their child(ren) arrived and the dreams change. Even if I don't understand all of it, it is undeniable that the art is beautiful and moving, somehow giving each animal a majestic yet fun feeling. My kids also loved it, all the different animals and trying to guess what was next from the hints on each page. A great book for art/animal lovers and baby showers.
To be honest, I'm not totally sure what this book is about but I still love it. I think it is about how all animals dream and have dreams and since humans are also animals we are a part of that. Due to the "I" and "you"s in the text, I also get a feeling of new baby symbology, how parents were their own individual with their own dreams until their child(ren) arrived and the dreams change. Even if I don't understand all of it, it is undeniable that the art is beautiful and moving, somehow giving each animal a majestic yet fun feeling. My kids also loved it, all the different animals and trying to guess what was next from the hints on each page. A great book for art/animal lovers and baby showers.
January 15, 2024
A young child journeys through through the dreams and experiences of a variety of creatures in dreams, awakened by the unseen "you" only to sink back into the dreams. This evocative exploration of nature's creatures and our interconnectedness makes for a perfect bedtime book.
I continue to be enthralled by Bendan Wenzel's creative journey and this new book is extraordinary! Lyrical playful text is evokes the sense of each creature and the often alliterative words are are joy to read aloud.
"Then there I was. A drifting dancer, flowing freely."
The spellbinding illustrations are created with cut paper, watercolor, acrylic, crayon, pencil and computer. A magical reading experience that celebrates imagination and nature. A MUST purchase for any elementary collection.
I continue to be enthralled by Bendan Wenzel's creative journey and this new book is extraordinary! Lyrical playful text is evokes the sense of each creature and the often alliterative words are are joy to read aloud.
"Then there I was. A drifting dancer, flowing freely."
The spellbinding illustrations are created with cut paper, watercolor, acrylic, crayon, pencil and computer. A magical reading experience that celebrates imagination and nature. A MUST purchase for any elementary collection.
December 14, 2023
An evocative picture book about the dreams of a young child. The dreamer dreams of transforming into different animals and experiences what it is like to be them - physically and consciously. "A salamander . . . until you came, with playful limbs, and woke me from that dream. Then there I was. A drifting dancer, flowing freely. All the world was curiosity, every new shape whirling, dancing with me." So it goes from salamander to octopus to elephant to falcon to tiger, continuing on and on until the child wakes up, enjoys a day of play, then goes back to sleep to dream some more. A stunning book that is both haunting and comforting and begs to be read again and again.
November 1, 2023
There are many books by Brendan Wenzel that I love. He shows the heights that imagination can reach in his creations and this is another one that young and old will love. The stretch of color between creature to creature amazes and at first, the next one isn't quite recognizable, then one word and one painted frame gives the answer! All kinds of dreaming in words and illustrations make a special book. "Then there I was, a speeding pilot, soaring onward." is one example of the subtle movements readers will find. It's terrific, will entertain at bedtime and any time
May 18, 2024
I read this book as an adult reader for the AR Diamond Book Award. Beautiful, gauzy, colorful and the only redeeming thing about this book --the illustrations are beautiful but make absolutely no sense with the text. This book would be so much better if it was just wordless and we could make up our own story. I'm sure other people will love this one, but I'm just trying to imagine giving this to a young reader. If adults are confused after reading it, imagine how a child will feel. It was just too deep.
December 2, 2023
I am a huge fan of Brendan Wenzel's picture books, and this one did not disappoint. I loved the dreamlike feel of the illustrations and how they seamlessly switched from habitat to habitat based on the different animals. Brendan does a beautiful job of helping the reader to see things from other animals/people's perspectives. Any time I read one of his books to my students, they are enthralled, and I can't wait to share this one with them, too.
December 15, 2023
A captivating read in both the cyclical storytelling but also the illustrations that match and enhance the story. Each of the creatures is in a state in which they exist and move in the ways they do whether it's burrowing underground or marching miles in the African savannah or flying high above the city as falcons do.
The story bleeds one animal into another with the smooth cadence Wenzel creates before it comes full circle. I could curl up inside the pages and live there. Breathtaking.
The story bleeds one animal into another with the smooth cadence Wenzel creates before it comes full circle. I could curl up inside the pages and live there. Breathtaking.
December 23, 2023
Welcome to a magical world of endless curiosity. You are a sleeping salamander. A dancing octopus. A speeding falcon...even a sneaking tiger and playful human child. As one dream slips into another, every page turn immerses you in the sensory wonder of the world and all its creatures, from the ocean depths to soaring skies, and everything in between. Each creature dreams and experiences life in a different way. Each is connected despite their differences."--
January 17, 2024
We follow the lush. Illustrations of Caldecotte honorary, Brendyn Wenzel, from dreaming is a salamander, and then an octopus, and then one creature after another being awakened from one and sliding into the next dream, Of being creatures on the land in the sea in the air, being creatures, huge and tiny, fierce and gentle until awoken from one last dream, we are a young child, climbing into bed and slipping off into the quiet dreams of the night.
April 18, 2024
A very beautiful fun book. Brendan encourages the reader to put aside human skin and imagine what it is to be something different creature like a tiger, or salamander or a falcon.
The artwork has a dreamy quality and the story is told like a chant or rhyme that would help you stay asleep. Read the right way and I would think this could help kids go to sleep with the rhythm lulling one to dream on.
A nice book.
The artwork has a dreamy quality and the story is told like a chant or rhyme that would help you stay asleep. Read the right way and I would think this could help kids go to sleep with the rhythm lulling one to dream on.
A nice book.
October 20, 2023
So beautiful and imagination-stirring. I love Wenzel's illustration style, with the hazy fuzziness of the dream-like state. The language is really poetic so it might go over the heads of younger children, but reading it as an adult it's super lovely. A child imagines they are many different animals when they're asleep and dreaming.
November 23, 2023
On each page a narrator falls into a different dreamscape of the members of the animal kingdom and their characteristic actions. Creatures large and small, aquatic and of the veldtland of Africa, blend one into the other in a series of dreams that ends with a young boy snug in his bed. A lovely lullaby for bedtime.
December 5, 2023
A thoughtful and perceptive dreamlike journey of various animals and their habitats as a young child imagines what it is like to be ...a salamander... an octopus... an elephant... and so. Wenzel's soft pastel illustrations capture a dreamlike resonance to enhance the simple but informative story line to help young readers consider different perspectives of our animal world
October 19, 2023
The story was good, but I wanted a little more from the illustrations. While I understand it’s a dreamworld, I expected and wanted the illustrations more like the cover of the book. They were just a little too dreamlike for my tastes.
January 15, 2024
This book is mainly a canvas for Wenzel's beautiful paintings. A child imagines/dreams of being various animals. This is a book that sets a mood; there is not any rising/falling plot line.
Reading level M.
Reading level M.
January 22, 2024
A very dreamy journey. I wasn't sure about the author's intention. Just an imaginative journey, embodying one creature after another? Reincarnation, ending as a human child? Illustrations by the author also have a dream vibe, soft and colorful.
September 8, 2023
Gorgeous art with lyrical writing, this will make a great read aloud. I'd love to hear the varied reactions and interpretations that I think children will bring to this book.
September 28, 2023
Honestly, not sure how kids would react to this one....
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews