One Wish Book

Winner of the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Book Illustration, Halifax Regional Municipality (The Atlantic Book Awards)

“On a summer’s eve,
a long time ago,
I made one wish,
on the brightest star
in a twinkling night sky
I wished for a cottage by the sea…”

At the seaside, where our narrator lives, there sits a cottage “in a fragrant field of Queen Anne’s lace.” There is a porch to sunbathe on, a beach full of treasures waiting to be discovered, sandcastles are conquered by the incoming tide, and a young girl’s wish comes true.

Beautifully detailed, realistic, double-page illustrations make the ordinary extraordinary in this gentle picture book that is a memorable way to explore the seaside with even the youngest of readers.

Nancy Garhan Attebury - Children's Literature

If you are looking for a book to remember for a lifetime, this is it! Author and illustrator Frances Wolfe packs a punch with her art and wizardry with her text. Words that weave in and out with each other to form a beautiful picture are found throughout the book. A young girl who made a long-ago wish on a star wanders through days spent in her wished-for cottage by the sea. She spends her time going from tea party to sailing toy boats to feeding of greedy gulls and scavenging for beach treasures. She also splashes in the waves, builds the inevitable sand castle, and more, with the freshness of a child full of discovery and delight. The reader grows to believe the little girl is doing all of these things not too long ago. In the end, the reader discovers that the main character recounting all the episodes is really an elderly lady who remembers her childhood and surmises that wishes can come true. The colorful, rich illustrations greatly enhance the text. Readers will even be surprised to discover that the book jacket comes off to reveal a poster of episodes from the book. Readers have nothing to lose by taking off the jacket to hang on the wall since the book's front and back covers also carry the illustration from the book's jacket. The book deserves several readings; so place it in a prominent place in the home, classroom, or library. 2004, Tundra Books, Ages 4 to 8.