Description: This is a story of a boy's growth through daydreams. Peter, a boy with a common name, seems like an ordinary child to the adults around him—always lost in his own thoughts—but within his daydreams, he is anything but ordinary or common. Peter's adventures, unfolding somewhere between reality and daydream, are told through eight different episodes. The author explores transformation, and through it, the growth of a young boy. Peter, envious of a cat dozing in a warm house, ends up switching bodies with the cat; when he grows resentful of a baby who has invaded his space, he switches bodies with the baby instead. All of these transformations occur within Peter's daydreams. Daydreaming becomes the pathway to transformation. Peter draws the messy realities around him into his daydreams, working through real-life problems and experiencing emotional release. 1. Peter 2. The Dolls 3. The Cat 4. The Erasing Cream 5. The Fist Fighter 6. The Thief 7. The Baby 8. The Grown-Up Translator's Note Peter came to his senses and opened his eyes. The open window caught his attention at once. The top of an aluminum ladder rested against the windowsill. One hand—a very old, wrinkled hand—then another, groped along the ladder. Peter buried himself deep into his pillow. He was so startled that he couldn't remember a single one of the careful plans he'd made. All he could do was watch. A head and shoulders appeared in the window frame. The face was hidden behind a checkered scarf and a black cap pulled down low. The figure paused, peering quietly into the room for a moment, but never looked toward Peter. Then, muttering angrily under his breath, he began to climb in through the window. —From page 132