Title: Mommy, the Dreamweaver
Author: Meri Tumanyan
Illustrated by: Shannen Marie Paradero
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-5434-3712-8
Pages: 24
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Reviewed by: Beth Adams
Pacific Book Review
Written in a poetic beat of loving verse, author Meri Tumanyan has created a bedtime story that crosses the genres between a story and a poem. Interleaved with lovely illustrations, Tumanyan’s verse has a “sing-song” foot and tempo, with rhymes and a repetitive lulling “hush, hush,” comment to convey a soft and comforting, quieting peacefulness. Although a bit on the “noir” side with the subliminal theme of the daughter crying as the mother has to leave for work, it does allow for the wonderful descriptions of the life the family leads; with their bountiful fruit trees in their yard, their playtime together, and having the Daddy make breakfast after the mother is off to work. One would think a working mother, leaving in the morning, would not be such a morbid issue; however this is the root cause for the crying of the little girl.Throughout the galley text of Mommy, the Dreamweaver are references to the things that seem important to a little girl, such as fluffy stuffed animals, her blanky, a bubble bath and chocolate covered strawberries. These are a few of her favorite things, so it is written. As the little girl drifts off to dreamland, her mommy embellishes the scenery with butterflies fluttering their wings, hummingbirds and angels along with pretty splashes of colorful bursts, almost in a hypnotizing poetic style of writing. Mentioning to the daughter that mommy will be with her while she dreams, and there to kiss her on her cheeks when she awakens, provides a sense of security all children cherish in their lives. These emotions of protective, watchful caring become evident as the theme of the story. The mommy becomes the dreamweaver of projecting thoughts into her daughter’s imagination upon the child’s last moments of being awake prior to slipping off to a night full of dreams.
Mommy, the Dreamweaver is a book children will no doubt reach for to be read at bedtime because of the maternal nurturing which is so beautifully conveyed. The illustrations enhance the story showing the little girl, with her long blonde hair, and the mommy dressed in white overseeing with a watchful eye every aspect of her daughter’s safety and emotions. It is a kind and loving book, ideal for little girls to find the magic within the prose and storyline.
