The Magic Bookcase

Praise for The Dreamkeeper:
"Written in the form of a letter to his granddaughter, Ingpen's fanciful picture book chronicles an imaginary being who "catches the creatures of our dreams when they escape to reality" and returns them to a place called the Dreamtree.
In less able hands, such a premise could rapidly decline into New Age-ish nonsense; instead, myth and lore collide to create a promising fantasy. Mystical, dreamlike and occasionally nightmarish, Ingpen's detailed illustrations blend pencil sketches and watercolors to flesh out the imagery evoked in his hand-lettered text. He shows the elaborate traps used by the Dreamkeeper; the shoes with the special backwards soles to mystify those who would try and track him; the charms, tokens and lures that are his stock in trade--even the solar-powered remote control used by his goblin assistant to "unwind invisibility." Sharp-eyed readers will recognize some familiar faces among the inhabitants of the Dreamtree--the Frog Prince, Long John Silver and the White Rabbit, among others. A most unusual book, with the
same sort of appeal as Wil Huygen's Gnomes." --Publishers Weekly

"This book is one of those fascinating combinations of story and catalog. Just a perfect gift book for that child who's a little bit dreamy and a little bit scientific." --Elizabeth Bird, School Library Journal

Praise for The Dreamkeeper:
"Written in the form of a letter to his granddaughter, Ingpen's fanciful picture book chronicles an imaginary being who "catches the creatures of our dreams when they escape to reality" and returns them to a place called the Dreamtree.
In less able hands, such a premise could rapidly decline into New Age-ish nonsense; instead, myth and lore collide to create a promising fantasy. Mystical, dreamlike and occasionally nightmarish, Ingpen's detailed illustrations blend pencil sketches and watercolors to flesh out the imagery evoked in his hand-lettered text. He shows the elaborate traps used by the Dreamkeeper; the shoes with the special backwards soles to mystify those who would try and track him; the charms, tokens and lures that are his stock in trade--even the solar-powered remote control used by his goblin assistant to "unwind invisibility." Sharp-eyed readers will recognize some familiar faces among the inhabitants of the Dreamtree--the Frog Prince, Long John Silver and the White Rabbit, among others. A most unusual book, with the
same sort of appeal as Wil Huygen's Gnomes." --Publishers Weekly

"This book is one of those fascinating combinations of story and catalog. Just a perfect gift book for that child who's a little bit dreamy and a little bit scientific." --Elizabeth Bird, School Library Journal