It’s those dreams author Patricia Lea Olson writes about in her debut children’s book, Zena’s Dream.
Zena is a girl who lives on a farm near a forest, and all she wants to do is dance. While she’s doing her chores she dreams about dancing with proper dancing shoes, one color for each day. And when she’s able to, she ventures out to the forest where she dances on the rough forest floor despite not having any proper dancing shoes.
While this story may have one central message, it appears to have a couple of subtle ones as well. It’s main one of course is to always believe that your dreams can come true. When Zena dances in the forest she’s doing more than one thing. She’s living out her dream, but we find out that there are many creatures in the forest who find joy in her dancing. And the creatures aren’t portrayed as scary, but as friendly living beings who want to help her out.
The part where others find joy in her dancing could be a message of how following one’s dreams isn’t just beneficial to those seeking the dream out. Many dreams that end up coming true in the real world can be enjoyed by others, especially when it comes to the arts. And maybe there’s even another subtle message of arts advocacy woven into the story.
Of course, no children’s story is complete without illustrations. And the talented Sherri Faye, the author’s daughter, helps bring the story to life with her artwork. The style takes one down memory lane to a time that was much simpler, when books weren’t on an electronic reading device and people actually read for pleasure. The style seems to fit the story perfectly.
Possible subtle messages aside, Zena’s Dream is simple and straightforward for the audience it’s intended for: kids. It’s not a how-to guide for accomplishing their dreams, but it should at least give them a little inspiration. And sometimes that’s just what they need.
For information on how to purchase the book visit the Zena’s Dream Facebook page.
