The Big Wish

K-Gr 2—Molly's yard is full of dandelions. The mayor, who lives next door, thinks that it's a weedy disgrace and sends her grandson over to mow. He reports back that Molly is waiting for the dandelions to turn into wish-puffs for a world-record-breaking wish. Pretty soon the whole town is involved in making wishes. When a hailstorm threatens the almost-grown wish-puffs, the friends and neighbors pull together to help save them. But whose wish will Molly choose as the best one for the World Record Wish? The plot and illustrations work together beautifully. Dialogue appears in speech balloons, which serves to emphasize the individuals speaking, but they all blend together in the backgrounds of the illustrations. Conahan's watercolor illustrations are the real stars of this book. They are soft and dreamy, just right for a book about wishes, yet they are sharp enough to capture facial expressions as Molly tries to decide on the one, special wish. A great story about community and what happens when people all decide to work together.—Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ