Closet of Dreams by Mark Ukra and Tara Mesalik MacMahon Illustrations by Donna Dyer

Closet of Dreams by Mark Ukra and Tara Mesalik MacMahon, and illustrations by Donna Dyer
Publisher:  BookLogix
Format:  E-ARC
Number of pages:   203 pages
Publishing:   March 26th, 2024
Source:  NetGalley following recommendation from Books Forward

Opening Line:  "Child! Child! Child! Yup, I'm reading it, you're reading it, -we're all reading it right."  

Nine -year-old Child has always dreamed of playing baseball for his local little league team.  He's determined to not let anything get in his way, despite Eddie and his gang of bullies taking his application and the team not having enough baseball players, so they might have to disband or postpone the entire season.  After consulting with his Gamma, Child develops a plan to have the animals from the Pet Adoption Center and Hilda (his newly adopted dog) join his team so that he can make his dream come true.

I was first intrigued by the Closet of Dreams based on the title and cover.  It alluded to the idea of a boy wanting to play baseball and the fears that were getting in his way.  As well as a bully who tries to intimidate him from being able to play.  Closet of Dreams is a short chapter book that does read on the younger end of middle grade, and I thought it was both entertaining and somewhat silly in an endearing way.  Child adds a dog, and circus animals to include an elephant, bear and hippo (who can speak) to the roster of his baseball team. The illustrations added appeal and I especially liked the full page one of the baseball field and thought it could interest kids who enjoy the sport.

I guess the main thing that bothered me about the story is that the two main characters didn't have names besides "Child" and "Gamma." Although, I get that this was intentional as they were characters from the world that the authors created as kids, it just made it difficult for me to connect with Child somehow.  Purely a me thing.  Overall, I thought the highlight of the book was the messaging of overcoming one's fears so that one's dreams can come true.  Child ultimately developed the courage he needed to succeed.  I also really liked that Child showed empathy toward Eddie when he witnessed Eddie's mother yelling at him and felt this was a special moment that helped him develop a better understanding for why Eddie behaved the way he did and the amount of pressure that he was under at home.  Overall, a nice story that shows a little kindness toward others can go a long way.  

                                                                           About the Authors

Co-authors Mark Ukra (Child) and Tara Mesalik MacMahon (Gamma) are brother and sister and lifelong best friends. Mark is the author of The Ultimate Tea Diet (HarperCollins), and Tara is a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet and award-winning author of Barefoot Up the Mountain (Open Country Press). Her poems appear widely in literary journals and anthologies, including those from Red Hen Press, Nimrod International Journal, Poet Lore, Jabberwock Review, among many others. 

Mark and Tara based Closet of Dreams upon their own childhood Closet of Dreams, where the make-believe world of Child and Gamma came to life. Mark was “Child”; Tara was “Gamma.” Book II is already in the works, where Child and his friends race to rescue Starr, a magical baby elephant in Botswana. Learn more at: www.childandgamma.com 

**A huge thank you to Books Forward for the recommendation**