An incredible mix of prose, poetry and playsuit, following the story of Rex, a young boy coming to terms with the loss of his father.
Author Laura Dockrill has created a beautiful, engaging mix of forms that forces the reader to think about feelings, dealing with grief, and coming to terms with the past and present.
The integration of text with the images in Gwen Millward's illustrations, using symbols, and the different forms of writing captivate the reader, and though they took a bit of getting used to, proved to be an incredibly effective technique for immersing the reader in the story alongside Rex and his grandfather.
I am thrilled that illustrator Gwen Millward has provided me with some exclusive content here on the blogtour for The Dream House, talking about her drawing, and sharing some sketches related to the book and her artwork.
A powerful and poignant tale, this is a moving and heart-warming tale, that I loved, even though it tugged on my heartstrings! Due to the themes and content, I'd say Upper Key Stage 2 if using in school, and with caution about who is reading it, as always.
Thank you to Piccadilly Press for sending me a copy of this book to review and for having me on the blogtour.
Review by Rich Simpson (@richreadalot) September 2021
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