From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-The Dream Collector, an official charged with rounding up people's dreams every morning, is an eccentric old geezer with a broken-down truck and no toolbox. As luck would have it, Zachary, the child protagonist, is out and about, and after introducing himself, the man explains that he must get cracking in order to repair the vehicle and gather up all of the dreams before dawn ("Once sunlight touches them, they're here to stay," he says). Zachary scares up some tools and sets about gathering together an assortment of ethereal creatures, including a dragon, a knight, and a zebra. When the boy finds it impossible to herd a sheepdog, just like the one he's been asking his parents for, into the truck, he and the Dream Collector strike a deal to bring this whimsical story to a satisfying end. The Daniels' vivid mixed-media artwork adds to the rollicking fun. The idea of a person who can make one's fondest dreams come true is sure to tickle the imaginations of children.Mollie Bynum, formerly at Chester Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, AK Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
From readers' early glimpses of Zachary, the red-haired, bespectacled moppet hero of this story, standing on the edge of an orange toilet seat in his acid green jammies, they'll know this is no ordinary tale. Zachary finds two zebras and a shaggy dog drinking from the birdbath quite early one Saturday morning, and a white-bearded codger out front trying to start his truck. The codger is the Dream Collector, who gathers folks' dreams before dawn each day to keep them from becoming real when the sunlight touches them. Zachary brings him tools and tries to round up the stray dreams; zebras, pirates, a knight, and a dragon are loaded into the truck. The Dream Collector gets it started just in timebut allows the dream-conjured shaggy dog, with ``eyes like chocolate kisses'' to stay and become Zachary's real dog. Children might find the thought of dreams becoming real either delightful or creepy, but it is hard not to be charmed by the illustrations, with their deep palette of greens, reds, and blues; the fully realized shapes of Zachary and the Dream Collector and the truck are reassuring next to the more evanescent forms of the dragon and the pirates. As Zachary bounds up to his parents' bedroom with the dog in tow, young readers will have a fine time thinking about what happens next. (Picture book. 3-7) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Just before dawn, Zachary peers out of the bathroom window. To his amazement, he sees two zebras and a big shaggy dog drinking from the birdbath. By the time he races outside, the animals are gone, but at the end of the driveway he sees a kindly-looking man peering under the hood of his broken down truck. It's the Dream Collector and he needs Zachary's help. The neighborhood is overrun with dreams--pirates, a knight, a dragon and a dinosaur. Zachary must help round them up before dawn--or else they'll become real! Full color.

SYNOPSIS

When Zachary wakes up, he knows it's going to be an extraordinary day. First he finds two zebras and a big shaggy dog drinking from a birdbath. Then he sees a strange truck at the end of his driveway and a man looking under the hood. The man is the Dream Collector. It's his job to collect the night's dreams before the sun comes up, because if sunlight touches them, they'll become real. But the Dream Collector's truck has broken down, it's nearly dawn, and the neighborhood is overrun with dreams. Can Zachary and the Dream Collector beat the rising sun?

The DREAM COLLECTOR is a seamless blend of fantasy and realism that will delight anyone who has ever wished that dreams could come true.

FROM THE CRITICS

Martha Topol - ForeWord Magazine

While the dreams in the book may be a bit cliché, the story itself is spunky and fun. The inventive text is grandly complemented by snappy, flowing illustrations layered richly in hues of red, green and blue...Zachary and his dream dog are a perfect match—their shaggy appearances and boundless exuberance will get preschool and early elementary-age readers cheering as the hero and his new pal are paired up for real.

Children's Literature - Janet Morgan Stoeke

The dream collector's truck, much like a trash truck, comes by city regulation every day to collect dreams. Without him, the streets would overflow with the dreams of the neighborhood's occupants. That is what nearly happens in this offhandedly ludicrous tale. Our central character Zachary helps gather up zebras, pirates and dragons just before dawn, when they have got to be taken away or they will become real. I go along only so far with a story so carelessly sewn together. Dreams can't always be held in a truck, for instance. What about when the dream is very big, or just a feeling? There's an aim here for a seamless blend of reality and fantasy that truly doesn't happen. And of course, a kid can't just get a dog. What would Mom say?

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-The Dream Collector, an official charged with rounding up people's dreams every morning, is an eccentric old geezer with a broken-down truck and no toolbox. As luck would have it, Zachary, the child protagonist, is out and about, and after introducing himself, the man explains that he must get cracking in order to repair the vehicle and gather up all of the dreams before dawn ("Once sunlight touches them, they're here to stay," he says). Zachary scares up some tools and sets about gathering together an assortment of ethereal creatures, including a dragon, a knight, and a zebra. When the boy finds it impossible to herd a sheepdog, just like the one he's been asking his parents for, into the truck, he and the Dream Collector strike a deal to bring this whimsical story to a satisfying end. The Daniels' vivid mixed-media artwork adds to the rollicking fun. The idea of a person who can make one's fondest dreams come true is sure to tickle the imaginations of children.-Mollie Bynum, formerly at Chester Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, AK Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

From readers' early glimpses of Zachary, the red-haired, bespectacled moppet hero of this story, standing on the edge of an orange toilet seat in his acid green jammies, they'll know this is no ordinary tale. Zachary finds two zebras and a shaggy dog drinking from the birdbath quite early one Saturday morning, and a white-bearded codger out front trying to start his truck. The codger is the Dream Collector, who gathers folks' dreams before dawn each day to keep them from becoming real when the sunlight touches them. Zachary brings him tools and tries to round up the stray dreams; zebras, pirates, a knight, and a dragon are loaded into the truck. The Dream Collector gets it started just in time-but allows the dream-conjured shaggy dog, with "eyes like chocolate kisses" to stay and become Zachary's real dog. Children might find the thought of dreams becoming real either delightful or creepy, but it is hard not to be charmed by the illustrations, with their deep palette of greens, reds, and blues; the fully realized shapes of Zachary and the Dream Collector and the truck are reassuring next to the more evanescent forms of the dragon and the pirates. As Zachary bounds up to his parents' bedroom with the dog in tow, young readers will have a fine time thinking about what happens next. (Picture book. 3-7) .