Ella May and the Wishing Stone

PreS-Gr 1—Imaginative Ella May returns home from the beach with a rock encircled in a thin white line and dubs it her "wishing stone." After explaining to her friends Manuel, Maya, and Amir that the stone makes her wishes come true, they all set out to find one of their own. Ella May rejects their rocks as not being "special" like hers and is soon sitting alone on her porch, realizing that she hasn't been very kind. She remedies this with creativity and thoughtfulness as she helps to make her friends' wishes come true. Each figure and object is outlined in sketchy black and casually filled in with soft, summery, pastel watercolors. The story includes several understated lessons for youngsters, such as getting along, being considerate, and using your imagination.—Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI