Ben's Dream by Chris Van Allsburg

Chris Van Allsburg is my favorite children's author, so I was excited to read this book. It is a very surreal story about a boy named Ben and a dream he has when he falls asleep while studying for a Geography test. The illustrations are extremely unique, and unlike any other illustrations in any Van Allsburg book I have read thus far. All of the illustrations are done in black and white, and are very detailed with lots of texture and lines. Over half the book, the entire dream sequence, is told strictly through illustrations without any text whatsoever. I found this to be an extremely original and interesting way to convey a dream, and I was extremely impressed with the illustrations (some of Van Allsburg's best work). For example, there are some incredible drawings of a sinking Statue Of Liberty and Golden Gate Bridge that perfectly communicate the surrealism of a dream. Overall, I thought this was an excellent boook with some great imagery and illustrations.