Peter Kenney is known worldwide as a passionate fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and the world of fantasy. Using this love and his wide-ranging imagination, Mr. Kenny has produced (in the guise of “selecting” poems and stories by his “uncle,” Fortinbras Proudfoot, Esq.) Dreams of Another Land, a collection that explores the history and happenings of a faraway land that still feels very familiar to us. Small folk, dragons, warriors, ladies, and wizards and their adventures are described in rhythmic language that is enjoyable to read, either aloud or silently.
Standout poems include “Mushrooms,” for its galloping pace and humour, and “The Last Ship Into the West,” for its simultaneous elegiac farewell to one departing world, and hopeful acceptance of a new age dawning.
Beautifully complementing the text are Sue Bradley’s watercolour illustrations. Their soft, yet bright, colours and delicacy of line are perfectly suited to “Mr. Proudfoot’s” stories.
By turns whimsical and wistful, Dreams of Another Land will satisfy readers of all ages.
Sherry Larson-Rhodes: Self-employed Freelance Editor and Reference & Instruction Librarian at Milne Library, SUNY Genesco.
