Neil's Castle by Alissa Imre Geis

32 p., Viking, 2004. Imagination is a special gift, and there's a unique satisfaction in bringing what we've imagined into the visible world. Neil dreams of a beautiful castle, and wakes up remembering all the details of it. He tries several ways to re-create the castle, problem-solving intelligently by considering what doesn't work about one solution and trying another. It doesn't work as a sand castle, a block castle, or a castle made from chairs and a blanket. He explains to his father that he wants to draw something "really big - bigger than me," and his father helps him line the walls of his room with huge pieces of paper. Neil draws his castle on the paper, stopping from time to time to consider its similarity to his dream castle. When it's just right, he paints it. He's excited to show his father, and when they pull up chairs, it's as if they're sitting inside the castle - just as Neil did in his dream, except this time, they're together and close. The illustrations are colorful, and at the same time have a contemplative quality that fits the mood of the book. This story shows children how they can use problem-solving and imagination together to create joy and connection. Ages 4-7

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