The Dream Stair

Betsy James and Richard Jesse Watson have created a book filled with images and emotions of a child's day, and the security of a granny's love.

The Dream Stair, with it's poetic text and evocative illustrations, awaits all young travelers who are about to begin the universal nighttime journey.

So begins the adventure of a girl who climbs the dream stair--first up, past chimneys, balloons, and trees to the special attic room with the moon at the window; then down, past furnaces, rivers, and roots to the dark safety of the cellar room; and then, finally, back to bed.

until I come to my cellar room, so dark and warm, and there I play until I remember the day. 

Seasoned editor, Linda Zuckerman has a marvelous editorial weather system, which fans the flames of text with oxygen but can also helium-spritz the imagination of an illustrator to rise above the balloons and clouds.

"When it gets dark,

I go to bed

and my granny kisses me good night,

'Sweet dreams,' she says...

'Go up the stair,

go down the stair,

and tell me all about it

in the morning.'"

down past kitchens, past halls, past cupboards full of spice…

So I take my granny’s candle, I open the door, and there is the old stair.

Up, up, up past rivers, past roots, past furnaces, and cupboards, past halls and kitchens, up the stair

Reviews:

“Most notable are Richard Jesse Watson’s portrait-like illustrations that blend so well with the fantastic, as in his recent ‘Tom Thumb’.

Using a Southwestern/Hispanic setting, he portrays the dreams as pleasant collages, rich with cultural symbols.

Any child who has experienced the calm love of a grandmother will find these pages reassuring.”

Los Angeles Times

“Offering a feast of cleverly interwoven images. Watson’s fantasy pastiche is colorful and cheerfully surrealistic.” Publisher’s Weekly

“The strong poetic images are matched by artwork that moves between realistic and fey… At the centerpiece of the story is the Hispanic narrator; Watson portrays her with a purity that is both tender and strong. A dreamy, evocative piece that celebrates dreaming as well as strong family relationships in everyday life.” Booklist
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The Dream Stair, by Betsy James, illustrated by Richard Jesse Watson
HarperCollins 1990 ISBN-10:0060227877 ISBN-13:978-0060227876