Title – Just a Dream
Author(s) – Chris Van Allsburg
Illustrator/Photographer – Chris Van Allsburg
Publisher and Year – Houghton Mifflin, 1990
Number of pages – 48 pages
Tags/Themes – Rylie Loux, Adventure, Fiction, 2-3, 4-5, Emotion
Genre – Fiction
Descriptive Annotation: Walter is a young boy who litters and refuses to sort trash for recycling. One night when he falls asleep, he dreams of a future that is overcrowded and polluted. He is taken on an adventure into his future based on his actions and careless mistakes of his past. When he wakes up from his dream, he changes his attitude towards the environment.
Classroom Application/Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: This is a perfect resource for engaging students to get to know and understand the importance of our environment. The strong environmental message of the book helps children see how pollution affects their future. “We have met the enemy and he is us.” This is the focus of recycling and the importance of each and every student taking on the role of keeping their environment clean. This can be applied by asking the students how they are helping the environment each day. Throughout the story, Walter has his own opinion, learns from his mistakes, and then is able to correct his wrong doings. Walter is so preoccupied in his past time activities that he pays little attention to what the world has to offer. This is showing students that they are always able to change for the better and that how the choices they make today will affect them in the future. This story also includes a strong sense of independence and personal responsibility. Culture and diversity is applied because everyone comes from different backgrounds and this story is showing students that no matter where they came from, they all play a part in the bigger picture and everyone is accountable for something.