Clara and Asha
by Eric Rohmann
I have trouble catching enough Zzzz's most nights, because it's prime time for my imagination. With the lights out and the house quiet, I'm free to let my overactive mind roam, even as my body begs for deeper rest.
I have an ally in Clara, a restless tyke who can't will herself to sleep, even as an off-stage mother insists it's bedtime in this lush, dreamy story of what happens after the lights go on in a little girl's head.
A fish named Asha comes to life after the two meet "in the park" where Asha's really a fountain statue. True to a child's outsized creativity, the pretend Asha is larger than life and swims through the air, frolicking with Clara in the tub or in the snow and on many other outings.
On this night, they sail across a night sky together in wordless, panoramic spreads painted in sleepy midnight hues. A hush falls over my little one too as the pair soars across the starry pages before Clara settles into bed, only to be kept awake by another potential buddy. I can almost feel his pulse slowing as the story drifts to its close.
Rating: *\*\*\
It's clear that when I make up stories for Seth, he's visualizing them.
Posted by: brettdl | January 20, 2006 at 05:41 PM