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 The Sandman
By Ralph Fletcher; illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
Henry Holt and Company, LLC; $16.95
32 pp.; ISBN-13: 978-0805077261
Review by Amy Brozio-Andrews
For any child who has ever wondered about how and why she finds sand in her eyes after she wakes up, Ralph Fletcher's The Sandman is an earnest effort to enchant young readers. As the story opens, a little man named Tor is having trouble falling asleep. He's tried everything and still can't sleep. It isn't until he discovers a dragon's scale that Tor stumbles upon a solution. He is busy filing the sharp end of it when a sudden breeze blows some of the dragon scale dust back into Tor's eyes. He quickly falls asleep. When he awakes, he realizes what has happened and decides to make it his life's work to help sleepless children by delivering a dusting of his magical sand.
Ralph Fletcher's story is sweet if light on the drama. Kids will fall in love with the jolly looking, Santa-ish Tor and his cute pet mouse. While it's exciting for children to see tiny Tor hiding near the dragon's lair to secure another dragon scale, he simply waits until the dragon falls asleep and grabs one that falls off. Richard Cowdrey's menacing-looking dragon never catches on to the missing scales, nor does he notice Tor hanging around his lair. The implied danger never materializes. There's never any tension with Tor's sneaking into children's rooms to sprinkle sand over their eyes so that they can fall asleep easily. Fletcher's abrupt revelation that this is how the Sandman came to be and that Tor never has to worry about the scales running out because dragons live forever comes about two pages before the book ends and leaves the last part rather anti-climatic for young readers.
Richard Cowdrey's beautiful illustrations are vivid and detailed and gently humorous. The lush greenery of the forest, the fierce dragon breathing fire -- this is intense and attention-grabbing artwork. Tor's charming workshop and home are graced with a thimble drinking glass, ladle bathtub, and bolt candlestick. The dragon scale dust all but glitters on the page. The acrylic paint illustrations are by far the most memorable part of the book. Children will enjoy pointing out all of the repurposed things that Tor and his pet mouse use around their house.
The Sandman is a gentle and well-intentioned effort to tell the story of the legendary Sandman from an experienced writer of books for children and adults paired with a veteran illustrator. The overall effect is a picture book that's mellow enough for reading before both bedtime and naptime.
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