The Sandman    by Ralph Fletcher & Richard Cowdrey Order:  USA  Can Henry Holt, 2008 (2008) Hardcover      Reviewed by Hilary Daninhirsch Maybe it's a futile attempt to relive my childhood through my children, but I have always enjoyed revisiting classic bedtime stories. I loved this warm and fuzzy version of The Sandman. A tiny man named Tor is an insomniac. When he stumbles upon a dragon's scale, he takes it home, files it down, and when the sand from the scale accidentally blows in his eyes, he falls instantly to sleep. Knowing he has made a great discovery, Tor produces more sand, travels the night skies, and sprinkles it on the eyes of children, who are then able to fall asleep in a flash. Of course, when Tor has no more sand left, he bravely tiptoes near a sleeping dragon to retrieve a fallen dragon scale. Children can be assured that, 'Since dragons live forever, there will never be a shortage of scales.' Although the story stands on its own, combining all the best elements of a classic fairy tale, the book is worth its price for the illustrations alone: they are bold and lush and just a gorgeous accompaniment to a well-told bedtime story. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews