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Just a Dream

by Chris Van Allsburg

3.96 · rating details · 644 ratings · 104 reviews

Young Walter litters and refuses to sort trash for recycling, until he dreams of an overcrowded and polluted future which terrifies him into taking care of the earth.

Hardcover, 48 pages

Published October 29th 1990 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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Feb 06, 2012

Vicky rated it

I thought that this book had a very good moral: that you should stop and take a look at how your actions may affect people and outcomes in the future, especially with the environment. Walter, the main character is told by his parents to sort through the trash and make sure to recycle. He doesn't listen and just throws everything in the trash. He goes to sleep, not really caring about what he's done. In his dream, he travels to the future and sees the world completely trashed. There is so much tr...more

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Feb 06, 2012

Brigette rated it

Just a Dream takes Walter, a young boy, and readers to the future to see how our world will be if we do not take care of it now. The end papers show a dirty yellow color that is later seen as the polluted water of the ocean, as well as in the smog that covers the Grand Canyon. The illustrations throughout the book are bordered, which helps the readers feel that they are envisioning something that could happen, while still keeping a distance from the actual events of the story. The beginning i...moreJust a Dream takes Walter, a young boy, and readers to the future to see how our world will be if we do not take care of it now. The end papers show a dirty yellow color that is later seen as the polluted water of the ocean, as well as in the smog that covers the Grand Canyon. The illustrations throughout the book are bordered, which helps the readers feel that they are envisioning something that could happen, while still keeping a distance from the actual events of the story. The beginning illustrations especially had a very documentary-like feel to me. The viewpoint seemed very similar to a camera that was trying to stay hidden so that the subject of the documentary didn’t know that it was being watched. This was accomplished through the use of borders, as was already mentioned, as well as different angles. There were many illustrations done from both the bird’s eye view, as well as from a worm’s eye view. It is also interesting to note that readers never seen Walter’s full face. There are a few illustrations that show part of his face, or a couple that show his whole face, but from such a far distance that no detail can be perceived. I believe that this style was used to create ambiguity—it makes more readers able to relate to Walter. It helps readers both relate to him and distance themselves from him, because while we all want to see ourselves in a book, nobody wants to be responsible for the future that Walter sees in his dream. Something that bothered me about the format of this story was the placement of the page breaks. Readers would see an illustration and have some idea of what was happening in the book, but the words describing that illustration wouldn’t come on that opening, but they were on the next, after the page break. I imagine that the author did this because he felt that having the words on the next page would drove the reader forward and compel them to read the next page, I really don’t know though. The end of the story brings takes Walter to a different future where people take care of the earth. In this new future, the colors are all vibrant and beautiful, I wish that the end papers at the end of the book were a happier yellow. I understand why it was the gross yellow at the beginning, but I really wish that the final end papers reflected the end of the story a little bit better.(less)

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Feb 02, 2012

Alana rated it

Chris Van Allsburg's story, Just a Dream, portrays an important message in a unique way. Walter is the main character and he has a change of heart after his bed takes him to the future. While he is sleeping, Walter sees a variety of places and what they are like in the future. When he returns home, he feels horrible and changes his actions. The layout of this picture book invites the reader in because the illustrations take place on a double-page spread, with the text explaining the illustra...more

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Nov 06, 2011

Brittany Young rated it

I did not expect this book to be about environmentalism. Especially in this day and age, I think it is an important topic to cover. It is nice to see a book that shows children that they can change their future. The cover and illustrations inside follow Van Allsburg’s traditional illustration style. The cover is surrounded by a thick dark green boarder. The illustration inside the cover boarder is colored in with shades of green, yellow, and brown that matches the boarder color. Inside, I like t...more

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Oct 11, 2011

Meghan Porter rated it

I enjoyed Just a Dream but I did have a hard time with the overall message of the story, but I will get to that. The story begins with a little boy, Walter, who seems to be a selfish and rude little boy. He litters, makes fun of his neightbor Rose for planting a tree, and doesn't recycle. That night he dreams about a future where there are no trees, trash is everywhere, and the world is a dark and dreary place. When Walter wakes up from his adventures he is a changed boy. He cleans up aft...more

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Sep 14, 2011

Jennifer rated it

“Just a Dream” by Chris Van Allsburg was the last but not the least of the books that I’ve read out of the 4 and I have to say that I think this one is my favorite. I like that he mixed the concepts of imagination and environmental lesson. He wrote this book by telling a story about a boy who didn’t think much about the environment and what the consequences of the actions that he did. He had a dream that took him into a world where the environment was suffering and animals were trying to survive...more

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Sep 10, 2011

Spencer Gold rated it

The book Just a Dream is a great take on the enviroment and what our country is doing to change the future for the worse. The story starts off with a little boy who does things like litter, laugh at a girl planting a tree, and properly recycling. Then when he starts to dream it takes him to all the things the Global Warming predicts. I liked that Allsburg took the story from the point of a view from a naive boy and not a grown up. This gave the story more power and showed that we...more

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Apr 16, 2011

Kathleen Garber rated it

Shelves: picturebooks, favorites

This is a great book for Earth Day or anytime you want to teach about environmentalism. Although it's an older book, I'd not seen it. It's by the author of The Polar Express and Jumanji (and many others,) so you know the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous.

The little boy's dreams show just how scary our world could end up the way we are going. He pops in and out of different dreams, showing many different scenarios. At the end he learns his lesson and pitches in and his dream that ni...more

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Mar 09, 2011

Jane Meyer rated it

Shelves: picture-books

Just a Dream is a picture book that focuses on encouraging kids to think about the environment, and how the choices they make today will affect them in the future. I'm all for such books, but this one falls short, and with picture books being as expensive as they are, I wouldn't choose to spend my money on this one...

Two reasons: though I like the idea of reading books to our kids about doing their part in keeping this planet clean and healthy, the concept of this book sings of cliche ...moreJust a Dream is a picture book that focuses on encouraging kids to think about the environment, and how the choices they make today will affect them in the future. I'm all for such books, but this one falls short, and with picture books being as expensive as they are, I wouldn't choose to spend my money on this one...

Two reasons: though I like the idea of reading books to our kids about doing their part in keeping this planet clean and healthy, the concept of this book sings of cliche and reads like propoganda. There's a message in the words from the moment we meet the little boy who throws his trash onto the ground to the very last page when he rejoices in his decision to have planted a tree on his birthday so many years ago. But... I suppose if I were the editor, and this story had been brought my way, I might have voted to publish it, too.

The fault in this story goes to its layout. Whoever decided to feature the illustrations as two-page spreads, then have the text for those pages follow the illustrations simply blew it. When you're reading a picture book to a child, you want something for the child to look at while you're reading through the story. And you want that picture and those words to match. Especially if the text is long. In this book, you open to the spread of a man climbing a smokestack, and the boy in his dream is in this illustration as well, then we turn the page and we read all about that picture we just passed, meanwhile the child is looking at a snippet of the next part of the story that is to come. Logically, it just doesn't make sense. You lose the interest of a young reader this way, and suddenly the story becomes just words, just a teacher or a mom rambling on and on about burning throats and itchy eyes.

I will say, though. That if you had a crowd of eight or nine or ten-year-olds, that they would get this book. By that time they'd have enough experience reading without needing the aid of pictures, and would get the concept the author is trying to convey, and I could see them even being inspired to be better stewards of our earth, as long as the teacher sat and had a good discussion with them following the reading.

My penny's worth. (less)

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Nov 11, 2010

Esther rated it

Shelves: fantasy-and-sci-fi, picture-books

Published in 1990 by Houghton Mifflin.
Interest Level: 4th-7th Grade

This offering by Chris Van Allsburg truly took me off-guard. What I thought would be a simple picture book about dreaming and the many strange things that occur in dreams ended up being an insightful look into energy consumption and the effects of one person's contribution to the Earth. Through the dream-like sequences of a boy's dream, many landscapes are shown as part of the future. The future that is depicted...more

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Feb 01, 2012

Carlie Engels rated it

Just A Dream by Chris Van Allsburg is done in portrait shape. This is because the story is about people, especially Walter. The illustrations in the story are realistic and framed with white space. I thought it was very interesting that every time Walter's bed traveled to a new place, there would be a little illustration on the right side of the page foreshadowing where he would travel next. The type face is normal, serious font. I think the editor chose to use this font because, although it is ...more

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Feb 06, 2012

Stephanie Allred rated it

"Just a Dream" by Chris Van Allsburg follows the journey of dreams that young Walter has one night, as he is wishing to be in the future. The pages of this book are set up in a portrait design. Each page has realistic pictures; however, the borders on each page kept me from feeling like I was in the book. Each page is set up with a wide white border around the whole page. The bottom forth of the page houses the text and the middle of the page houses the illustrations. The interplay bet...more

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Oct 06, 2011

Ryan Gray rated it

Of all the Chris Van Alsburg books I’ve read I found “Just a Dream” to be my favorite. The book has a great story and holds very valuable lessons for children as well as adults. In the story a very naive boy named Walter does not understand the value of recycling and taking care of nature. At one point he even begins to laugh at, and make fun of a girl who is recycling and sorting trash. It is not until he falls asleep and begins to dream of a world full of garbage that he begins to change his m...more

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Feb 06, 2012

Brittany rated it

This story was creative, well written, and overall fun to read! This was the first time I read this story, so I was unsure what the story was about. The story starts off with Walter not really being aware of how his actions are affecting the environment. He throws trash on the ground, laughs at his next door neighbors gift which was a tree, and then throws trash out in the wrong cans. He has a vision of what the future will look like, but when he drifts off to sleep he has a rude awakening. He s...more

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Feb 07, 2012

Katie Larson rated it

Just a Dream, written by Chris Van Allsburg was a story of an environmental study. It was layed out as a portrait style and has cool color scheme. The pictures throughout this story vary in size, some pictures are smaller with few words underneath while others are larger with more words on the page. The colors are very dull but have a realistic look to them. The point of view of the pictures is mostly birds eye but some pictures are at eye level. During the dream part of the book it is as if you...more

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Feb 06, 2012

Rachel Manak rated it

Just a dream was written in a portrait orientation which makes sense because it has people in it. it also has a lot of landscape, but the orientation works well with the book. The illustrations are done in color, but not super vibrant colors. They are more on the dull side. The texts and illustrations kind of go in a pattern when Walter starts to dream about the future. There is text on the left side, then there is a small picture on the right side, and then both sides of the pages are taken up ...more

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Feb 07, 2011

Jennifer Anderberg rated it

While I thoroughly enjoyed all of the exceptional artwork in this book, I didn't really enjoy the story much or how the book was constructed. you would see a picture then turn the page and read about what the picture described, it seemed to me that the story of the picture should have come before the picture so that when I look at the picture it will make sense. I found myself constantly turning back to look at the picture once again after I had read the story about the picture, it mad it kind o...more

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Sep 13, 2011

Rebecca Hipps rated it

"Just a Dream" sends a powerful message about sustainability and consideration for the future of the earth. As the reader is taken through a child's dream in double page spread images, he/she experiences a glimpse of the future through the eyes of a thoughtful and concerned child. Van Allsburg’s vivid illustrations leave the reader anticipating each page turn, eager to see the next outrageous prediction of the future world. The story and images force the reader to consider his/her ow...more

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May 25, 2011

Laura rated it

Shelves: 2011, children-s, picture

Chris Van Allsburg is known for his beautiful illustrations (Jumanji and The Polar Express). Just a Dream is also beautifully illustrated and has a strong environmental message. Walter doesn't care about the environment. When he goes to bed, he dreams about the future, which clearly shows the consequences of poor environmental choices. Fortunately, Walter wakes up in his own bed and realizes the error of his ways. After recycling, planting a tree, and making earth friendly choices, he dream...more

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Feb 06, 2012

Lisa Schwartz added it

This book, teaches children a lesson on how to respect the environment. Its illustrations paint pictures in our minds and help us to realize the consequences of every action that we make. It also tells us that the future with all the high technology and stuff won't always make us happy. Even if we have all the things in the world we want we may still no be happy. When Walter goes to sleep, he travels the future to see all the different things that may happen to him. During these dreams he sees d...more

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Feb 14, 2011

Lynette Wells rated it

i like the hidden message in the story. The hidden message has to do with pollution and recycling. But it talks about it in a fun way. I also liked how Chris Van Allsburg constructed different point of views. For example when Walter through the doughnut bag on the ground, he illustrated it from a worm's eye view. Later when he illustrated Walter watching T.V. he did that from a Bird's eye point of view. I also liked how on the right side of the page he had a little picture of what was about to h...more

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Feb 13, 2011

Emily rated it

In Van Allsburg’s, Just a Dream, I do believe that the colors that are displayed throughout the story are very intriguing and eye-popping to the reader. Every page that is shown seems to include a different color scheme which does keep the reader anticipating what comes next. Again with this story, the pictures that seem to tell a story, actually do not last long as they are very shortly stopped by a frame causing the reader’s imagination to be put on hold. As for the pages that do not contain a...more

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Sep 13, 2011

Melissa Fordonski rated it

This is one of my favorite home-away-home stories because of the strong message it sends. Walter is careless, and does not wish to recycle his waste. Instead he throws his trash on the ground, or doesn't care to sort out bottles and cans for recycling. One night he has a dream that takes him into the dismal future that would exsist if people today do not care for the environment. The illustrations really stress the consequences of not caring for our world now, with the murky color scheme Van All...more

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Sep 29, 2011

Marissa Gloria rated it

I thought this book was very interesting. It's a good interpretation of someone's point of view of how our world will turn out to be in the future if we don't take care of it today. It could sort of be used to teach little kids a lesson if they read it. I did enjoy the pictures though and found them to be very interesting because I made the observation that the pictures of his dream each had their own color which seemed to cover the entire thing vs being of many colors. I think Van Allsberg did ...more

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Sep 20, 2011

Caitlyn Griefenberg rated it

This is a very different book in that the message that is trying to get across is very apparent and highly important. The message is that we must take care of the Earth and do all we can to preserve it like recycling. The little boy does not understand the importance of it until he dreams of what the world would like if no one cared. This opens his eyes to how vital it is to take care of the world. I think this is a great way to show children how they must learn to treat the Earth well and what ...more

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Sep 20, 2011

Anna Rothenhoefer rated it

Just a Dream is about a young boy who has high imaginations and expectations about the future. In present-day, Walter is a young boy who does support sorting trash to recycle. One night as he falls asleep, he has a dream about the future. But what he actually sees is different than what he had hoped for. After his dream of a world filled with pollution, his attitude is changed and he is enlightened. I would choose to read this book aloud to my students. After reading, I could encourage them to b...more

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May 18, 2010

Beth rated it

Shelves: children-s

Rosie is watering her birthday present, a tree, but Walter doesn't know why anyone would want that. Walter also doesn’t recycle and wishes that he lived in the future.
In the future, he dreams of he sees trees being cut in the masses. Walter figures that they must be really in need, but learns that is to make toothpicks. Smog covers his bed. How would you like to see a hotel on the top of Mt. Everest? What about catching only two fish in the span of one week?
This might be the future ...more

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May 15, 2011

Emma Koller rated it

I love Van Allsburg's books, mainly because I love his illustrations. However, I have two problems with this book. First, the layout was a little strange. It's kind of difficult to read a story to someone when the illustration is on a totally different page from the words. Secondly, while I think it is important for most children's books to teach something and have some sort of message this story felt more like propaganda. I just think the message of saving the Earth could have been delivered in...more

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Apr 12, 2011

Becky rated it

Shelves: picture-books, favoriteillustrations, magical-realism

Goodreads description: "Young Walter litters and refuses to sort trash for recycling, until he dreams of an overcrowded and polluted future which terrifies him into taking care of the earth. "Van Allsburg reaches a new pinnacle of excellence in both illustration and storytelling . . . His fable builds to an urgent plea for action as it sends a rousing message of hope." -- Publishers Weekly"

The wordless double-page spreads are particularly evocative, with Walter's be...more

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Sep 22, 2011

Claire Karlberg rated it

I really enjoyed Just A Dream by Chris Van Allsburg. It's about a little boy named Walter who doesn't really have much concern for the environment. He would rather watch T.V. than put his recycling in the right bins. One night he has a dream and wakes up in a world where pollution has taken over. After seeing all the bad things that can happen when you don't recycle properly he fixed his bad habits and even planted a tree he got for his birthday. I really enjoyed this story because it sends a ve...more

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About Chris Van Allsburg

Chris was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 18th, 1949, the second child of Doris Christiansen Van Allsburg and Richard Van Allsburg. His sister Karen was born in 1947.

Chris’s paternal grandfather, Peter, owned and operated a creamery, a place where milk was turned into butter, cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream. It was named East End Creamery and after they bottled the milk (a...moreChris was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 18th, 1949, the second child of Doris Christiansen Van Allsburg and Richard Van Allsburg. His sister Karen was born in 1947.

Chris’s paternal grandfather, Peter, owned and operated a creamery, a place where milk was turned into butter, cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream. It was named East End Creamery and after they bottled the milk (and made the other products) they delivered it to homes all around Grand Rapids in yellow and blue trucks.

When Chris was born, his family lived in an old farm house next door to the large brick creamery building. It was a very old house that, like the little house in Virginia Lee Burton’s story, had once looked over farmland. But by 1949, the house was surrounded by buildings and other houses. Chris’s father ran the dairy with Chris’s three uncles after his grandfather Peter retired.

When Chris was three years old, his family moved to a new house at the edge of Grand Rapids that was part of a development; a kind of planned neighborhood, that was still being built.

There remained many open fields and streams and ponds where a boy could catch minnows and frogs, or see a firefly at night. It was about a mile and a half to Breton Downs School, which Chris walked to every day and attended until 6th grade, when the Van Allsburg family moved again.

The next house they lived in was an old brick Tudor Style house in East Grand Rapids. It was a street that looked like the street on the cover of The Polar Express. The houses were all set back the same distance from the street. Between the street and the sidewalk grew enormous Elm trees whose branches reached up and touched the branches of the trees on the other side of the street. Chris moved to this street with his mom, dad, sister, and two Siamese cats. One named Fafner and the other name Eloise.

Chris went to junior and senior high school in East Grand Rapids. He didn’t take art classes during this time. His interests and talents seemed to be more in the area of math and science.

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