What If You Wish?

by Anne Appert, Anne Appert (Illustrator)

Overview

A gentle child embarks on a magical journey and transforms their worries into wonder by simply asking "What if?" 

When a spring breeze blows,

a quiet promise whispers,

What if?

What if you close your eyes and

make a wish?

In this sweet and inspiring book by Anne Appert (Blob), one child learns the true power of positive thinking, perseverance, and wonder. Perfect for fans of When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left, Just One Little Light, What the Road Said, and other graduation, baby shower, springtime, and birthday books for little dreamers and optimists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063036130
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/05/2024
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Anne Appert is a storyteller who uses whimsy and humor to inspire and connect with readers on their own journeys toward becoming their most authentic selves. Anne went to the Fashion Institute of Technology for a BFA in illustration with a minor in English so they could bring their stories to life. Their first book was Blob, a picture book about being yourself. Anne hopes to inspire all kids through fun and imaginative storytelling to dream big and love themselves. You can visit Anne at anneappert.com.

Anne Appert is a storyteller who uses whimsy and humor to inspire and connect with readers on their own journeys toward becoming their most authentic selves. Anne went to the Fashion Institute of Technology for a BFA in illustration with a minor in English so they could bring their stories to life. Their first book was Blob, a picture book about being yourself. Anne hopes to inspire all kids through fun and imaginative storytelling to dream big and love themselves. You can visit Anne at anneappert.com.

Editorial Reviews

03/29/2024

PreS-Gr 2—A small girl with white skin and dark double ponytails makes a wish on a dandelion, sparking her confidence and imagination. She pictures herself with wings, soaring among the clouds, full of hope. "But what if a stormy wind clouds possibility with questions and drowns promises with shouts?" The book's yellow palette shifts to grays, blacks, and purples as self-doubt creeps in and the girl's bright, wide-open world takes on new dimensions, leaving her lonely and deflated. She wonders if hope is enough to sustain a dream. Ultimately, she is buoyed by the same imaginative spirit that stirred her to begin with. "What if a wish met by wonder makes the impossible possible?" Appert's illustrations are rich and encompassing, as if readers are side-by-side with the protagonist on a journey through a landscape of optimism, despair, and finally, renewed faith. The text is spare, with a careful simplicity that suits the subject matter. This is a tough topic, but one that many children will be able to understand. A thoughtful and striking ode to imagination and its power to soothe a doubting mind, this would make a nice choice for a child struggling with anxiety or self-esteem issues. VERDICT A worthy title to share at story hours or with families who are looking for books on emotions, this one deserves a place on the shelf.—Kate Newcombe

School Library Journal

2023-12-06
A child experiences the joy of imagination and the darkness of doubt.

A nameless character with pigtails and bangs, freckles, skin the color of the page, and a tunic top over leggings slips through a broken chain-link fence and makes a wish on a dandelion. The world bursts from black and white into color as the child flies through a dreamscape, but darkness and monsters menace, hues darken and fade to dark gray (“Doubt lingers”), and the protagonist returns to Earth, alone. But a bright little yellow star spreads its glow, colors and a sense of wonder return, and the child sails through a seascape, through the sky, and into outer space. Appert’s art, which looks like watercolor but was digitally created, carries the story entirely; this could easily have been a wordless book, like JonArno Lawrence’s Sidewalk Flowers (2015), illustrated by Sydney Smith, and maybe it should have been. The text is vague and metaphorical, addressing topics such as wishes and worries, dreams and doubts, possibilities and promises—possibly too abstract for younger children to understand, although the art provides a wonderful opportunity for conversations around social-emotional learning topics such as worry, uncertainty, and hope. Appert’s use of color effectively shifts the tone and mood throughout, and young readers may want to share their own stories of wishing on dandelions and stars.

Strong art, muddled writing. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews