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Smiley's Dream Book
From the creator of the internationally bestselling and award-winning BONE series comes a charming and adorable picture book -- the first to feature Smiley Bone in an adventure all his own! On a beautiful sunny day, happy-go-lucky Smiley Bone is walking through the woods when he begins to count some friendly birds. The birds sing and climb so high that Smiley must find a fantastical way to keep up with them! With lively drawings and expressive word balloons, Jeff Smith has created a one-of-a-kind picture book that will delight the youngest readers.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published July 31, 2018
102 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Smith
630 books1,432 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
Born and raised in the American mid-west, Jeff Smith learned about cartooning from comic strips, comic books, and watching animation on TV. In 1991, he launched a company called Cartoon Books to publish his comic book BONE, a comedy/adventure about three lost cousins from Boneville. Against all odds, the small company flourished, building a reputation for quality stories and artwork. Word of mouth, critical acclaim, and a string of major awards helped propel Cartoon Books and BONE to the forefront of the comic book industry.
In 1992, Jeff’s wife Vijaya Iyer joined the company as partner to handle publishing and distribution, licensing, and foreign language publications. In the Spring of 2005, Harry Potter’s U.S. publisher Scholastic Inc. entered the graphic novel market by launching a new imprint, Graphix with a full color version of BONE: Out from Boneville, bringing the underground comic to a new audience and a new generation.
In 2007, DC Comics released Smith’s first non-creator owned work, SHAZAM! Monster Society of Evil, a four-part mini-series recreating a classic serial from comic’s Golden Age. Between projects, Smith spends much of his time on the international guest circuit promoting comics and the art of graphic novels.
Born and raised in the American mid-west, Jeff Smith learned about cartooning from comic strips, comic books, and watching animation on TV. In 1991, he launched a company called Cartoon Books to publish his comic book BONE, a comedy/adventure about three lost cousins from Boneville. Against all odds, the small company flourished, building a reputation for quality stories and artwork. Word of mouth, critical acclaim, and a string of major awards helped propel Cartoon Books and BONE to the forefront of the comic book industry.
In 1992, Jeff’s wife Vijaya Iyer joined the company as partner to handle publishing and distribution, licensing, and foreign language publications. In the Spring of 2005, Harry Potter’s U.S. publisher Scholastic Inc. entered the graphic novel market by launching a new imprint, Graphix with a full color version of BONE: Out from Boneville, bringing the underground comic to a new audience and a new generation.
In 2007, DC Comics released Smith’s first non-creator owned work, SHAZAM! Monster Society of Evil, a four-part mini-series recreating a classic serial from comic’s Golden Age. Between projects, Smith spends much of his time on the international guest circuit promoting comics and the art of graphic novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
August 16, 2021
Jeff Smith gives Smiley Bone his own counting picture book for preschoolers. The illustrations are great but there's not much to the story except for counting birds.
January 14, 2019
My desire to read a new Bone story momentarily overcame my aversion to reading books with dream sequences. I am now filled with regret.
Toddlers may enjoy all the pages devoted to counting birds. I don't see much use for this book beyond that.
Toddlers may enjoy all the pages devoted to counting birds. I don't see much use for this book beyond that.
May 18, 2019
Finally. FINALLY, the REAL hero of the graphic novel series Bone get his own movie, book, story, dream, whatever. Point is Smiley was always my favorite character and it's great to see the guy still getting work.
August 3, 2018
A very cute children’s version from the author that wrote Bone, feat. Smiley Bone 😃 I loved it!!
January 28, 2019
A great counting book for preschoolers. I laughed out loud when Smiley stopped the hawk. (Read it and see why.)
August 15, 2018
Very colorful and simple.
August 1, 2018
Part of my personal initiative to read children's books.
Author/Cartoonist Jeff is a Columbus resident. When a documentary about him received a premiere at OSU, we went to see it, following which I read Smith's epic nine-part Bone series, which I enjoyed.
Smiley's Dream Book is definitely slanted toward very young children (I'm guessing ages two or three). It's exceptionally well drawn, which is Smith's strength. There is one amusing gag involving a hawk (or eagle or some such predator bird) that will make adults laugh about 80% through it.
Author/Cartoonist Jeff is a Columbus resident. When a documentary about him received a premiere at OSU, we went to see it, following which I read Smith's epic nine-part Bone series, which I enjoyed.
Smiley's Dream Book is definitely slanted toward very young children (I'm guessing ages two or three). It's exceptionally well drawn, which is Smith's strength. There is one amusing gag involving a hawk (or eagle or some such predator bird) that will make adults laugh about 80% through it.
September 5, 2018
Okay. The art was fun, and the story was cool - some bits with words, others without. The ending just felt like a cop-out, though, and I finished the book feeling cheated.
September 30, 2024
Catching up on some classic titles.
Smiley Bone, the main character of the Bone series of graphic novels for middle grades up, gets his own story - this time it's a counting book intended for very young readers.
One day, Smiley is walking through the woods. He decides to count the number of singing birds he sees. When he is overwhelmed by the sheer number and can't count them, he joins them flying high in the sky. When a hawk threatens the birds, Smiley puts a stop to that. As the birds fly off, he counts them down until they are all gone.
The book is generally presented as frames, to build appeal for young graphic novel readers, and ostensibly digitally created. Keep in mind this is really not for the fans of Bone, rather it is for their younger siblings to begin their journey with our favorite hero. Text is minimal, with many wordless frames throughout. One could almost make up their own story for this largely wordless book. Be sure to check out the secret cover!
Use for units on counting, reading encouragement, and summer's day.
Recommended for PreSchool-grade 1.
Smiley Bone, the main character of the Bone series of graphic novels for middle grades up, gets his own story - this time it's a counting book intended for very young readers.
One day, Smiley is walking through the woods. He decides to count the number of singing birds he sees. When he is overwhelmed by the sheer number and can't count them, he joins them flying high in the sky. When a hawk threatens the birds, Smiley puts a stop to that. As the birds fly off, he counts them down until they are all gone.
The book is generally presented as frames, to build appeal for young graphic novel readers, and ostensibly digitally created. Keep in mind this is really not for the fans of Bone, rather it is for their younger siblings to begin their journey with our favorite hero. Text is minimal, with many wordless frames throughout. One could almost make up their own story for this largely wordless book. Be sure to check out the secret cover!
Use for units on counting, reading encouragement, and summer's day.
Recommended for PreSchool-grade 1.
September 8, 2018
Using simple text in thought balloons and accessible illustrations, this book serves as something of a cartoon for young readers. Smiley Bone is enjoying a walk through the woods when he spots some birds. As he begins counting them, he finds himself soaring into the air too. He enjoys his time with his feathery friends until a predator tries to attack them. When Smiley uses his physical presence to frighten it away, the birds are quick to shower him with love. As he descends back to the ground, he counts down on the number of birds. But as it turns out, none of this actually happened, and he's been dreaming all the while. Most readers will smile at Smiley's dreams of flying that are probably similar to some of their own. The story is reassuring for young readers and might be a good one for reading aloud since it reminds readers that dreams don't really happen, and there will be scary ones and delightful ones.
January 25, 2023
In "Smiley's Dream Book" Smiley falls asleep and has a dream about all the birds singing and having a good time, he begins to count them and enjoy their song while flying along with them. Suddenly a hawk comes and causes some chaos but Smiley stands up to them and they are scared off. As his dream comes to an end we find Smiley asleep under the tree again. He reminds himself that for all the bad dreams he has been worth it for the good ones. I liked this book because of the lesson it gives that for all the bad or scary things there are good things and dreams. It is also relatable to younger audiences and lets them know that dreams are okay and normal. I might use this in a classroom in lower elementary as a carpet book to maybe either learn to count because the pictures and words do depict a count from 1-10 but I also might use it as a story for if/when multiple kids are having bad or scary dreams as a reminder that everyone has them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2018
A picture book from the same author and illustrator of the popular graphic novel series Bone with the same character; Smiley Bone.
Bone is taking a lovely walk through the forest when he starts counting birds. After twelve he gives up and knows there are a lot of birds. Everything is wonderful, Smiley is even able to fly with the birds, until a big hawk appears. He defends the small birds and chases the hawk away. It turns out it was a dream and Smiley’s last line is “sometimes dreams are scary, but the good ones make it worth it.”
Illustrations are in full color and cover a page or a spread. Most of them have a black line around them and a white border as if it is a comic book. When Smiley speaks it is with a speech bubble. This could be a good book for those not ready for the Bone series but want something that looks like it.
Written
AD
Pre Kindergarten through 1st grade
Bone is taking a lovely walk through the forest when he starts counting birds. After twelve he gives up and knows there are a lot of birds. Everything is wonderful, Smiley is even able to fly with the birds, until a big hawk appears. He defends the small birds and chases the hawk away. It turns out it was a dream and Smiley’s last line is “sometimes dreams are scary, but the good ones make it worth it.”
Illustrations are in full color and cover a page or a spread. Most of them have a black line around them and a white border as if it is a comic book. When Smiley speaks it is with a speech bubble. This could be a good book for those not ready for the Bone series but want something that looks like it.
Written
AD
Pre Kindergarten through 1st grade
April 17, 2018
Smith, Jeff Smiley’s Dream Book. PICTURE BOOK. Graphix (Scholastic), 2018. $18. 9780545674775.
Smiley Bone is walking through the woods when he takes to the air with a flock of birds and saves them from a predator. Or was it all a dream?
I thoroughly enjoy the Bone books, but I don’t understand why Smith used the same character in this picture book. His ghostly pallor is a weird contrast to the colorful birds. The end with it all being just a dream feels a bit of a cop out.
NOT RECOMMENDED. Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Smiley Bone is walking through the woods when he takes to the air with a flock of birds and saves them from a predator. Or was it all a dream?
I thoroughly enjoy the Bone books, but I don’t understand why Smith used the same character in this picture book. His ghostly pallor is a weird contrast to the colorful birds. The end with it all being just a dream feels a bit of a cop out.
NOT RECOMMENDED. Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
February 2, 2024
This book is about Smiley and his walk through the woods. He sees many nice birds and then he meets some mean ones that cause trouble. he even gets to fly with the birds. Eventually, he realizes it was all a dream.
I enjoyed this book. Many pages were just pictures but it allowed for the reader to create their own story. Along with that, it was easy to read and the pictures captivated the story well.
I would use this book in SLP therapy with a client who needs help with counting because there is some of that in there. I would also use this book with a child who has deficits in EF skills and make them create their own story with the pictures given.
I enjoyed this book. Many pages were just pictures but it allowed for the reader to create their own story. Along with that, it was easy to read and the pictures captivated the story well.
I would use this book in SLP therapy with a client who needs help with counting because there is some of that in there. I would also use this book with a child who has deficits in EF skills and make them create their own story with the pictures given.
June 13, 2018
{My thoughts} – Dreams, some of them can be good and some of them can be bad. This book shows Smiley having a good and interesting dream. Although, when you first start paging through the book it isn’t clear he is having a dream until the end where it is stated.
The illustrations match the words in the book nicely and they help to make a nice read. I think that any child that enjoys colorful books will enjoy this one.
The illustrations match the words in the book nicely and they help to make a nice read. I think that any child that enjoys colorful books will enjoy this one.
February 15, 2019
Picture book based on the Bones series.
Counting book.
Bones is in the forest and begins to count the birds. He gets to twelve and realizes there are more than he can count. The wordless pages begin here and he flies with them. He even saves them from a hawk. At the end of the book, he wakes up and tells the readers it was all a dream.
The illustrations are colorful and help the readers follow the story.
It's predictable and doesn't have much for a reader to focus on.
Counting book.
Bones is in the forest and begins to count the birds. He gets to twelve and realizes there are more than he can count. The wordless pages begin here and he flies with them. He even saves them from a hawk. At the end of the book, he wakes up and tells the readers it was all a dream.
The illustrations are colorful and help the readers follow the story.
It's predictable and doesn't have much for a reader to focus on.
November 3, 2021
After reading the Bone series, I can't help but adore this book as an enlarged comic book. Its picture book format serves as a simple counting book for young ones. I am not the target audience, but I like it for the art and the comic book style pacing of the panels. Illustrations don't have to be fancy for a book to be good.
August 17, 2018
Cute for the youngest with typically beautiful art... a cute message... but from Jeff Smith I would have expected a little more story... still cute but I was hoping for a picture book for all ages and I don’t see my middle schoolers loving it like they do the Bone series... but for little ones 😍
August 22, 2018
This is a charming counting book that I ordered because my son is a longtime fan of the Bone books. I think it would have played better for me as a board book. It is clever, but only appropriate for very young children.
October 12, 2018
Cute story of smiley who goes for a walk one day in the woods- hears the sounds of birds singing and starts to count them! When a hawk appears he must step in and be a hero! He awakes and discovers what really happen!
October 26, 2018
Themes: numbers, birds, dreams
It would be fun to read with all the bright, colorful illustrations. I think I could give the kids a chance to tell me what is happening in the story during the few wordless pages.
It would be fun to read with all the bright, colorful illustrations. I think I could give the kids a chance to tell me what is happening in the story during the few wordless pages.
November 14, 2018
I love Bone and was eager for this one. Ultimately I was disappointed, but I recognize I'm not the target audience, either. My two-year-old loved the hats and scarves on the birds and thought they were funny.
October 25, 2019
I was a little disappointed with this book as I expected it to be fantastic since it is authored by the Bone series Jeff Smith. It is basically just a picture book where Smiley dreams that he flies with birds and wakes up to find it is only a dream.
February 16, 2018
Well, that escalated quickly.
April 7, 2018
ARC copy- extra star for being a fan of Jeff Smith. Simple story, comic appeal. Cute for younger readers who will enjoy reading it themselves & counting.
August 4, 2018
Somehow, scatological humor never fails to amuse me. If the kids catch on with the illustration, the middle of this book is sure to offer a big laugh!
August 11, 2018
Smiley is counting the birds and ends up making friends with them.
August 16, 2018
LOL moments
counting forwards and back
observation
counting forwards and back
observation
August 23, 2018
Lovely.
September 15, 2018
I wasn't expecting it to be good... and it wasn't. What did this book bring to the world? Nothing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews