| A children's story, age group: 8-14. Nicholas, an exuberant, ebullient nine-year-old, hates to sleep. His teachers and parents are at a loss. He won't sleep more than a few hours a day. Eventually, his protracted sleeplessness takes its toll, and he enters into a state of "wakeful sleep". No-one can tell whether or not he is awake. Unbeknown to anyone, he starts wandering in the Land of the Ever-Awake. There he meets with a series of extravagant characters. The furry musicians; Rayon, the synthetic monster; the Archwolf, implacably carnivorous but in dire need of a dentist; Moonchild, a slightly scatty, mind-reading fairy godmother; a book-worm; and the wicked Mr. Fantasy, who lures children and turns them into TV sets! By telling a whimsical story, Nicholas delivers the TV-headed children from captivity, and awakes to a glorious happy ending. Comical and nonsensical situations abound in a world of fantasy with the horrors to thrill but never threatening the established order long enough to upset. |
