Once Upon a Wish

Meet a boy who can make wishes come true in this magical picture book from the award-winning Sara Ogilvie, illustrator of Dogs Don't Do Ballet What would you do if your wishes came true? Meet the wishgiver boy - with lotions and potions and secret ingredients, he glides through the night making wishes come true. He can conjure up dragons, magical midnight feasts and even make you fly. But will he ever find the magic to grant his own wishes? This is a tale of hard work rewarded and the special power of the words 'thank you'.

About the Author :
Amy Sparkes (Author) Amy Sparkes was born in Eastbourne and graduated from the University of Kent at Canterbury in 1999 with a degree in English Literature and Theology. After working for charities and the NHS for several years, Amy left work to raise a family and write whenever possible. She now lives in Devon with her husband and five young children. Amy is a passionate supporter of baby charities and donates a percentage of her royalties to various causes. Sara Ogilvie (Illustrator) Sara Ogilvie creates award-winning art which has been exhibited across the UK and abroad. Working as a freelance illustrator Sara creates images for editorial, design, publishing and advertising. She is the illustrator of many books including Dogs Don't Do Ballet, Do Not Enter the Monster Zoo, Once Upon a Wish and Julia Donaldson's Detective Dog.

Review :
This magical read about a wish-granting boy weaves a dreamlike tale of dragons and midnight feasts, sure to delight even the smallest of readers. After all, who doesn't have a wish they would like to come true? Deep in the forest, in a giant oak tree, lives a magical wishgiving boy, as you’ll soon see … By night, as the wishes drift his way, he spends his time concocting and conjuring up wish magic for girls and boys,then delivering it right to them … Despite their delight at receiving their heart’s desire, these children quickly forget the wish giver who also has a wish of his own, for it’s a lonely life he leads in that secret lair of his. The lad wishes for a pet or a friend to keep him company but try as he might, his own wish is unfulfilled … Then one night this wish wafts his way “I wish I could fly” and immediately our lad is up and doing, sprinkling, stirring and filling a bottle of potion, before sailing off to deliver same to the waiting wisher. This particular recipient however, is rather different. Yes, she’s absolutely over the moon at being able to take her maiden flight, but it’s what she does next …that makes all the difference, though not right away. Her kind words take a little while for their own particular brand of magic to do its work … Amy Sparkes’ brilliant to read aloud rhyming verses mixed with Sara Ogilvie’s sparklingly gorgeous, richly and humorously detailed, glowing illustrations make for a magic mix all of their own: sheer delight from cover to cover. If you’ve ever forgotten to thank, or overlooked saying, thank you to anybody, I urge you to get hold of a copy of this one and send it to them forthwith; actually buy a copy no matter what; you’ll surely find someone or many, to share its enchantments. Swathes of lapis-lazuli blue shimmering with a dusting of magic wrap readers up in rhyming delight and fairy-tale enchantment in Amy Sparkes (@AmySparkes) and Sara Ogilvie‘s Once Upon a Wish, a truly lovely, imaginative and heart-warming tale about the value of friendship. Deep in the heart of the Forest of Dreams the wishgiver boy works hard spreading joy. Wishes float in on the breeze and he sets about stirring up the mysterious ingredients needed to make dreams come true, before delivering the spells in person. Although happy to be able to grant others’ wishes, the thoughtful and kind boy is lonely. Some intangible ingredient seems to be missing and until he’s found it, his magic can’t work on himself. Generosity, patience and gratitude finally bring magic words to light ensuring a reassuring, upbeat ending that will no doubt lead to many a conversation about hopes and happiness (and what we all can do to help each other with our own dreams and delight). Sparkes’ sparkling story flows with a sunny rhythm and bounce, making it a real pleasure to read aloud. It’s wonderful to see a magical, creative and successful boy making it his business to leave the world a better place. Ogilvie’s illustrations perfectly balance charm and quirkiness, drawing out the warmth of the story without ever becoming saccharine. I’m pleased to see that the wishgiver’s new friend has dark skin; this is a rare book which manages to bring much needed gender and race diversity gently and so naturally into storytime, whilst also delivering a subtle message about the power of thankfulness.