Sweet Dreams by Jo Anne Valle Click here for other books by or about Jo Anne Valle. Rating: Reviewed by: Click here

This is an interesting book, written, illustrated, and photographed by Ms. Valle, who appears to be a very talented lady.

Islita (whose name means "little island" in Spanish) feels a tad lazy this hot, humid day. She is supposed to put her clean laundry away. Since her bed is unmade and books and pencils strewn about below her knapsake, can we also assume making her bed and doing her homework might be other chores on the docket?

Where is Blanco (the name means "white") and Abuela ("grandmother")? Islita wanders the house and can small Abuela's cooking. Abuela seems to be a glorious cook.

Islita complains of the heat and Abuela says she knows how to cool off. So grandmother and granddaughter go out to the hammock and in dreams Abuela takes Islita back to Puerto Rico (I'm assuming the land where Abuela comes from). And in the dream Islita goes back to see El Yunque and the floral and faunal beauty of the island as well as the meteorological wonders of the Caribbean island. Did you know it can rain one moment then be bright and sunny the next? No all day depressing drizzly rains there.

The dream is accompanied by photographs Ms. Valle took in Puerto Rico. They feature the plants and mountains of the island. While the dream mentions many animals found there, and highlights those unique to the island, there are no animals in the photos. It is likely difficult to get a parrot or snake to pose, but maybe, somehow, photos can be found and rights secured for the use of such photos. It would have added that extra oomph to the book. My son wants to see the animals; he's not that interested in flowers. That is my only negative on the book.

The author does a commendable job explaining the Spanish terms used in the book as well as the terms carried over from the indigenous Taínos who originally inhabited Boriken. At the back of the book is a page that defines these terms used throughout. This page also has a pronunciation guide.

Overall this was a wonderful pictorial on the Puerto Rican island as well as a brief pre-Hispanic history of the island.