Imagine

A boy stands atop his tree house, and imagines that it's far greater than a tree house -- and suddenly, there he stands, on the turret of a grand castle, surveying his lush kingdom.

A young girl gazes longingly through a car window at horses in a field -- and like magic, she finds herself riding a beautiful horse across endless mesas.

A boy sailing his toy boat in the pond of an urban park imagines adventures beyond his wildest dreams -- and in his mind's eye, he sees himself working the sails of a great ship on a vast ocean.

Pictures like these in Bart Vivian's enchanting celebration of the wonder and innocence of childhood will remind young readers that they are only a thought away from their dreams.

The everyday becomes magical and the impossible becomes real -- all it takes is some imagination.

Vivian beautifully enhances a child's gift of imagination with his use of color.

Everyday scenes, such as a young lad waving at a passing fire engine, are illustrated in vivid shades of black and white, while the pages on which dreams come true are splashed with brilliant color, such as when the boy imagines he is a heroic firefighter climbing from a burning building with a baby, now safe in his arms.

With all the gadgets of today's world -- computers, video games, and VCRs -- Imagine is an eloquent reminder that fun and wonder await children who use their creativity and imagination.