FARMER ENNO AND HIS COW

Every time Farmer Enno falls asleep, he dreams of sailing, and upon awakening, discovers a boat memento of his dream left behind. The first is a small orange toy boat, but the boats become larger until finally his farm looks more like a shipyard. Enno and his cow, Africa, seek medical help in the city. But Enno barely falls asleep in the hospital when a giant ship crashes through the wail. In desperation, Enno heads for the ocean, deciding that at least if the ships get bigger, there's a place to put them. Yet just as Enno realizes he might like to go for a sail, the dreams stop; he and Africa return to the farm, and all the boats have vanished. The only solution, Africa suggests, is to sell the farm and buy a boat. The illustrations show the city they left behind littered with drums, trailers, trains, and pianos--the objects of others who are just beginning to dream. Rassmus is a talented artist, working with images that are lyrical, vivid, and strongly narrative. The plot is not as fluid, but underlying it is poetry enough to keep the entire story afloat.