1. Anxiety
2. Art techniques
3. Betrayal
4. Depression
5. Drugs
6. Emotions
7. Family
8. Hope
9. Love
10. Narrative techniques
11. Sadness
12. Sleep
13. Visual literacy

‘The Dream Peddler’ takes the readers on an emotional journey of substance abuse and hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel, there is a way past the addiction. The illustrator adds to the emotion through his use of monotone artworks using cold colours to convey the sadness and torment the boy is experiencing—a contrast to the bright orange monotone illustrations at the start of the story. The story subtly describes addiction and drug use and how this effects the boy and his family.

The story begins with a happy family, with hopes and dreams for their son. Once the boy goes out into the world, he meets the Dream Peddler. This encounter changes the boy’s dreams and as a result the boy himself changes, his dreams and his family’s dreams for him becoming nightmares. The changes the boy experiences are demonstrated through the illustrations with the boy slowly changing from his human form to that of a fox wrapped in barbed wire trapped within himself until he begins to feel regret for his choices.

As the boy slowly finds his way out of his addiction and back home the illustrator shows his physical changes that return him to his human form using the colour theme from cool to warm colours. The boy finds his way home to his family who never gave up hope, leaving a light for him and the door unlocked.

1. Speakers Ink Biographical profile of Irena Kobald and her two picture books for children https://www.speakers-ink.com.au/speakers/irena-kobald
2. Educate Empower. Review of ‘The Dream Peddler’ by Irena Kobald. Illustrated by Christopher Nielsen https://educateempower.blog/the-dream-peddler-by-irena-kobald-and-christopher-nielson/
3. English lesson plan: teaching regret language Regrets, I’ve had a few… – Tim's Free English Lesson Plans
4. Positive Choices Drug and Alcohol Information Secondary school SHAHRP: School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction Project - Positive Choices
5. EAL/D or ESL conversation lessons based on dreams and nightmares https://languageadvisor.net/english-esl-conversation-sleep-dreams-and-nightmares/