Claudia’s Dream

Claudia is a creative young elephant with a very active imagination. She transports herself into mystical worlds, travels in time, and teleports back to prehistoric times. Through all of her journeys, Claudia finds herself instinctually greeting each new creature as “Mister”. Before taking off on each journey, Claudia ponders why all genies, dragons, aliens, robots, and dinosaurs are assumed to be male. She happily embraces these fearless females and has a fantastic adventure. When she wakes up in her bed, she is brought back to reality with a refreshing new mindset.

Claudia’s Dream inspires female empowerment and encourages young readers not to make assumptions based on initial impressions. The main character’s awareness of gender stereotypes is apparent but does not overshadow the whimsical nature of the story. Claudia’s perceptive nature will encourage readers ages three to six to be open-minded instead of relying on past experiences to influence their impressions. It is great that Claudia learns to admire other females, but I believe this story could have been more impactful if the main character was a young boy instead. The artistic imagery in this book will make young readers feel as if they are accompanying Claudia on her magical quest.