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Nowadays many children's books are illustration-driven, with large but few pages. So it is with _Imagine a Night_, which consists of thirty pages about eleven inches square. Sixteen paintings by Rob Gonsalves reflect the influence of Dali and Escher, perhaps also of Jared French (minus, of course, the erotic suggestiveness), constructing a nocturnal world of fantasy in which different realities interpenetrate and the law of gravity, if not repealed, is at least mitigated. Sarah L. Thomson's text provides a minimalist commentary on the paintings, inviting the reader to enter this realm. Although he engages in trompe l’oeil, Gonsalves does not attempt an entirely realistic presentation of human subjects; his figures and faces have that somewhat caricaturish quality often encountered in illustrations of children's books. I don't anticipate that art critics will rank him with Dali or French. Nevertheless, I believe that many adults will enjoy this well-produced book. Paintings such as "Ladies of the Lake" or "New Moon Eclipsed" suggest a backstory, a narrative depth left implicit, that I expect will engage the imagination of many readers of all ages. Some of the qualities of Surrealism in painting, and in literature of Latin American Magic Realism and Tolkien's "Subcreation," are captured here. Young readers are quite able to appreciate such things; this book is an appropriate gift for children of primary-school age. There is a companion volume, _Imagine a Day_, to which the above comments (minus the word "nocturnal" and the names of individual paintings) apply equally.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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