Vesper Jones and Marshmallow by Karen Hendriks

Title: Vesper Jones and Marshmallow

Author: Karen Hendriks

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Starfish Bay Books

Published: 5^th August 2025

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 40

Price: $24.99

Synopsis: Vesper Jones and her cat use a dream controller to banish Scary Things from their dreams.

Vesper Jones has grown tired of Scary Things entering her dreams. So, with the help of her trusty Dream Changer and brave cat, Marshmallow, Vesper decides it is time to take control. But when Scary Things enter her dreams again, Vesper becomes fearful and must use her imagination and courage to send them away.

Can Vesper and Marshmallow outsmart the Scary Things and fill their dreams with fun and magic instead? Vesper Jones and Marshmallow is an empowering story about confronting fears which features powerful and expressive illustrations.

~*~

When she goes to bed one night, Vesper Jones decides she’s tired of the Scary Things coming into her dreams every night. She creates a Dream Changer so she can chase away the Scary Things. Her brave cat, Marshmallow, joins her, and they embark on a quest to vanquish the Scary Things and their shadows. They try replacing them with bright, colourful Friendly Things but somehow the Scary Things keep coming back. It’s all up to Vesper and her imagination to make them go away for good!

This delightful new picture book by Karen Hendriks, and published by Starfish Bay Children’s Books is about dreams, fears, creativity and bravery to help children overcome bedtime anxieties. Vesper’s fears are validated, and children and readers will be able to see and understand what drives these fears, and what might make the afraid to go to bed through imagination and play. It’s a fun story that is backed by research from Flinders University as it encourages children to take control of their dreams, to imagine what they want to imagine as they are falling asleep, and hopefully shows them that they are safe and their fears don’t control them or their sleep.

It’s a fun and imaginative story, filled with joy and creativity as Vesper Jones navigates a dream world and sleep. On the surface, it seems like quite a simple story. Yet it has layers that readers and children of different ages will appreciate, depending on how they approach the book. It captures a sense of worry, wonder and safety that children of all ages feel throughout their lives, and to help parents and carers navigate sleeping troubles, fears and nightmares. It’s one of many books I have seen that grapples with, or talks about these issues, and I think they can all help – it just depends on what people want or need.

It can also be read as a fun story and adventure, and is delightful and fun. The story works well with the illustrations, and readers will get as much out of the pictures as they do the words. They come together to celebrate the characters and their adventure, and it has a cat, which makes it lots of fun. I think there will be many readers who enjoy this book, and who will enjoy it for many different reasons. This is what makes books so good. Everyone can get something different out of the same book that they read.

This was a fun book, and I hope other readers enjoy it.