Tag Archives: bad dreams

The Land of Nod by Jimmy Vee (Book Review)

A rhyming bedtime book that keeps bad dreams at bay.

In the hushed Land of Nod, where moonbeams peek and shadows creep, lives a secret group of sleepy helpers known as Nodlings.

Each night the Nodlings wake, stretch their wings, and fly from their hidden land into children’s rooms everywhere.

Their mission is simple. Chase away bad dreams and make sweet dreams come true.

But there are rules the Nodlings must follow. They must stay out of sight. They must stay quiet. And most of all, they must be back in their beds before sunrise.

Have you seen a Nodling?

Visit the author’s site for purchasing information.

 

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

In the Land of Nod, you will find everyone and everything catching some zzz’s, and most are wearing adorable nightcaps. As the clock passes midnight, the Nodlings wake up, still sleepy but on a mission to bring sweet dreams to the kids in the village. The magical Nodlings had an important task to do every night, and they did it in style. Their caps and onesies were adorable, and the Nodling wearing the blue onesie with white polka-dots made me smile the most. He didn’t speak because that was against the Land of Nod rules. It was all the late-night snacks he had in his hand or falling out of his satchel. Even his artwork featured food.

The Land of Nod was a peaceful, magical land where Nodlings entered our world through a magical portal. (Read the story to discover what linked their world to ours.) The fairy-like characters with very large ears had to follow 5 rules. They were essential to protect their world, themselves. (Read the story to see the list.) There was an amusing illustration of them having to quickly hide from a child who was up past their bedtime. Again, it was the polka-dotted Nodling who stole the show!

The Nodling used special means to keep the children asleep while they chased away their bad dreams and thoughts. They used funny means to tell Nodlings where to land, and the jester-looking Nodling was quite the cut-up in one scene. I loved his facial artwork on the sleeping child and wondered if it will disappear at the dawn of a new day. Oh, and the polka-dot pajama-wearing Nodling…well, he made me chuckle again thanks to the comical illustration of him in a hairy situation.

The Nodlings’ mission is to chase away the bad dreams and replace them with good thoughts, ensuring a peace’s night’s sleep. They succeeded in their mission, but did they do it in time before sunrise? Read the story and see if they broke this rule or not.

I recommend The Land of Nod to all kids 3 years and older. It is a fun, amusing rhyming story, perfect for bedtime.

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤️❤️❤️❤️ 1/2

(4.5 rounded to 5 stars)

Visit the author’s site for purchasing information.

 

 

 

Meet the Author

Jimmy was a creative kid who was always building, tinkering, and rigging up something around the house. These days, his kids say he just makes stuff up for a living—they’re right. As the owner of a creative marketing agency, Jimmy really does “make stuff up all day” for businesses and entrepreneurs.

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Will’s Dream World: a children’s guide to having fun dreams and mastering nightmares by Will Nel (Book Review)

In this beautifully illustrated rhyming adventure, young Will discovers the secret to taking control of his dreams.

From scary spiders to teasing bullies, each nighttime challenge becomes an opportunity for courage, creativity, and self-mastery.

Perfect for children aged 3–7, Will’s Dream World empowers kids to face their fears and shape their own dreamscapes with confidence and imagination.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

Nightmares can disrupt our peaceful sleep, causing us to wake in fright, with our hearts racing and bodies shaking. Children, especially, can have a strong reaction to these unsettling dreams. They might seek comfort in their parents’ beds or delay bedtime, fearing what might come in their dreams. In Will’s Dream Worlda young boy grapples with similar fears that many children can relate to. A spider lurks, and a uni-lion monster roars and gives chase. The suspenseful and frightening dream shifts, showing the child screaming in terror as an animal is chomping at the bit to grab it. The dream takes an unexpected turn, mirroring the emotional turmoil many children face with school bullies.

Will faced many “monsters” in Will’s Dream World, but through the fear, he found his inner strength. He recalled his father’s wise words, reminding the sweet boy that these were his dreams, just silly thoughts that filled his head, which meant Will did have the power to change his thoughts. Kids will watch in amazement as Will defeats the villains one by one, becoming the hero of the story!

Introduce Will’s Dream World, a captivating rhyming story, into your child’s bedtime routine. Show them that, like Will, there’s nothing to fear in dreamland, and remind them that they have the power to change their story! Overcoming the fear of nightmares may take time, but reading Will’s Dream World every night might just speed up the process!

Although I appreciated the muted colors that indicated negative emotions in many of the dream sequences, unfortunately, one image had a significant flaw: a fleeing bully had his head facing the wrong direction, which could potentially confuse the child and disrupt the flow of the story. Other than that, this was a delightful story that will (hopefully) generate more pleasant dreams for all kids who battle the bedtime woes.

This book is designed to entertain and comfort children, providing a gentle way to address their fears and empower them to manage their nightmares. It’s a perfect book for children learning the difference between reality and fantasy, dealing with nightmares, or fans of stories where kids are the heroes!

Recommended reading age is 3-7 years.

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: 

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Meet the Author

Will Nel grew up on a sheep farm in remote South Africa, far from neighbours and more than 100 km from the nearest town. With only a handful of people in his early world, he developed a vivid inner life shaped by solitude, dreams, and the wide, open land.

Sent to boarding school at age six, Will learned early how to navigate loneliness, unfamiliar faces, and the need to stand his ground. Though his professional path took him far from storytelling — earning a PhD in energy studies and building a career as an engineer — the stories from his early years never left him.

Those long-held memories — of conquering dreams, building contraptions, and backyard expeditions — have found new life in the imaginative stories Will now enjoys sharing with children. Will’s Dream World is his first published book, drawing on the quiet resilience and emotional adventures of a childhood lived far off the beaten path.

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