Where do dreams go when the world wakes up? Zachary awakes very early one Saturday to the astonishing sight of two zebras and a shaggy dog drinking from a birdbath. He discovers an old man called the Dream Collector, who has a problem. Since his truck has broken down, he might not be able to collect all dreams before dawn. If the dreams are not gathered before the sun touches them, they will become real. Imagine the chaos in the neighbourhood!

Dilemma defined, the narrative forks in two directions. The Dream Collector must focus on the mechanics of fixing the truck, aided by tools from Zachary’s garage. Meanwhile, Zachary rounds up an assortment of fantasy characters – pirates, knights, dragons, every dream except the shaggy dog of his own fancies, the pet he wants to linger past dawn. The reader’s attention alternates between the real-life difficulty of repairing a truck, and the fanciful parade of dream creatures who keep dashing by. Awake or dreaming? It is often hard to tell.

I expected the illustrations to help the reader differentiate between what is real and what is fantasy, but they didn’t. The vibrant colour technique prevailed throughout, making the dream world and the real world seem as one. Zachary and the old man have realistic features, and even the dreams are solid and substantial, set in brilliant technicolour. Hues of green, orange, blue, and plum contrast with the stark white of the text page. In this world, characters dream with their eyes wide open. To enjoy this book thoroughly, the reader must be ready to accept that fantasy and reality have merged into one.