The Dream Quilt

Each night the boy sleeps and dreams and in the morning a patch of the quilt reminds him of his dream. I don’t want to give the whole story away, but I will tell you there really is a quilt made by the authors. It shows the patches in the dreams and is touring bookstores with the book. If you like to read to children, be sure to look for this wonderful book. — Quilting Magazine, August 1996

This book was so beautifully illustrated that I was almost afraid to let my young nephew handle it for fear he might mar it with chocolate smears or drops of lemonade. But a truly wonderful children’s book like this deserves to be lovingly handled, so I let him at it.

THE DREAM QUILT is the delightful story of Alex, a young boy who goes to visit his aunt on Cape Cod. While there, he is charmed by all he sees on the beach and in the surrounding landscape. But at night, his dreams allow him entrance to a truly magical world. The quilt his aunt has placed upon his bed contains a rich array of colors, textures, symbols, and pictures, and each night before he goes to bed, Alex focuses on one small part of the quilt. That part inevitably finds its way into his dreams of dragons and mystical forests and strange but benevolent people. At the end of his week-long visit, Alex looks forward to visiting his aunt and the dream quilt soon, but knows he will always have those dreams inside him. This is a terrific book that emphasizes the creative power of dreams in a way that is accessible to children. THE DREAM QUILT may help children understand where nightmares come from and may also help them to eliminate their fear of dreams that seem frightening because they are not understood. — New Age Retailer, Spring 1995

This mother-and-daughter team have produced a beautiful, old-fashioned storybook that is just right for bedtime reading or gift giving. A somewhat apprehensive Alex travels to his aunt’s house near the sea for his first, long, away-from-home visit. Wrapped up each night in his great-great grandfather’s patchwork quilt, Alex dreams an adventure related to the patchwork piece he notices right before he falls asleep. Together with Daisey the cat, he meets a talking dragon, saves a beautiful princess, finds Father Neptune’s trident, and has several other not-too-scary adventures before his week ends and he returns home. This is not a picture book in the usual sense. Amy Zerner’s illustrations are reproduced from fragments of an actual quilted fabric collage she created. — Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc., August 1995

The illustrations are squares from the magic quilt, rich collages by artist Amy Zerner. The stories are by Jessie Spicer Zerner, Amy’s mother and collaborator.

From talking dragons to a land of milk and cheese that delights Daisy the cat, Alex’s companion, the stories of The Dream Quilt will spark the imagination. Perfect for bedtime reading, it will encourage resourcefulness and independence, and will remind children that “there are adventures everywhere and any time.”

In a career spanning more than forty years, Jessie Spicer Zerner has written and illustrated hundreds of children’s books. She is the author of SCHEHERAZADE’S CAT (1993) and co-illustrator of ZEN ABC (1992).