A Hatful of Dreams
by Bob Graham; illus. by the author
Primary    Candlewick    40 pp.
11/25    9781536245042    $18.99

This offering from picture-book master-builder Graham (recently The Concrete Garden, rev. 11/23) consists of two braided stories. The first is one of urban decay and restoration: black-and-white line drawings show us Five Mile Road, a street of neglected and abandoned houses. But then, a burst of color. One small house is still inhabited and flourishing. Then, in a joyous transformation, the street comes alive. New families move in and fix up the houses. There are neighbors, children, activity, hope. What caused this explosion of energy? The second story involves the Anderson family, who lives in the one house that kept going through the hard times. In particular, we focus on the grandfather of that family. Grandad keeps treats in his pocket and stories, songs, and a kind of loopy stream-of-consciousness monologue under his hat. He charms his grandchildren and the dog. Only in the illustrations do we sense the parents’ concern. Is Grandad slipping into dementia? Possibly, but it seems as though he is nonetheless the agent of change when he finally takes off his hat and releases a starry miracle that saves the neighborhood. Once again Graham, with his genial portrayal of messy family life and his cast of button-nosed characters, celebrates the exuberant potential of community in all its incarnations.

From the November/December 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.