Title: Dream Wizard
Author: Dr. Randall 5th
Publisher: Westwood Books Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 1648032060
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book
Pages: 166
Reviewed by: Arthur Thares
Hollywood Book Reviews
No matter what the story is, it always amazes me how creative a storyteller’s mind can make up. The Dream Wizard is a fun and imaginative story which hops from one point to the next, like jumping from one stepping stone to the another to cross a river. The book is a lot of fun, but it is the intertwining of fiction and reality what makes it a gem.
This story starts with our main character Sandy and his friend Kami working hard in Sandy’s garden. While tending to the garden, the two come across some stubborn weeds that don’t want to be pulled. Instead of putting in the effort to pull the weeds, Sandy decides that he’ll have to use magic to rid himself of the problem once and for all. He leaves Kami in the garden and sets off on an adventure to find magic that will keep the weeds from his garden.
What starts as a simple enough task quickly becomes a full-on adventure as Sandy continues down an Alice in Wonderland-esque rabbit hole complete with talking plants, strange characters, and, of course, magic. His travels through the dream world are fun, funny, and exciting; there is never a dull moment in this book! Sandy finds an answer to his problem while learning so much more along the way.
The author, Dr. Alexander Randall 5th, has a talent for storytelling, and the book is magnificently written. While I loved the story as a whole, I was far more impressed with Dr. Randall’s wit and wordplay. Chapters with names like, “What’s a Meta For?” and “Knight School” are just a taste of what you will find in the pages of this book. While I am a fan of Dr. Randall, I was equally impressed with the illustrations by Candace Whittmore Lovely. They are artfully done and add another layer to this book, which is all about layers.
The story is fantastic, but Dr. Randall made this book even better by adding an excellent epilogue to the book. It explores the ways that you can remember your dreams and how to manipulate and enjoy them. It could probably be a book on its own, but instead, it is an excellent bonus chapter in the Dream Wizard.
This is a solid story the whole family can enjoy. It is a quick read and easy enough for a grade-schooler, yet the content is still exciting for an adult. It is a book full of fantasy, but more importantly, humor, which isn’t always so easy to come by. I highly recommend the Dream Wizard for anyone looking to find an escape from the real world. Once you’re done with the book, you can use Dr. Randall’s dreaming suggestions to dream up your own magical adventure.