Overview

The Wish is the tale of a young child's grief over the death of her pet corella. As part of the grief process the child contemplates the concept of being caged. Night brings a world of dreams, in which the child's insight into the suffering of captive animals has a magical twist. The story finishes with a celebration of freedom. The Wish is a picture book for readers aged four to eight, with a storyline that taps into a child's natural curiosity and love of animals. Like the timeless children's book The Lorax, by Dr Suess, The Wish uses a child's world of fantasy to raise awareness of an ethical issue. Through flights of imagination The Wish helps readers connect to the plight of animals in zoos, circuses, factory farms and laboratories and ultimately to the understanding that respect for animals empowers respect for themselves. At the conclusion of the story readers are left with the sense that individuals can take action and make a difference. The Wish is non-gender specific. The multiple layers of understanding extend The Wish's interest as a story for all ages, including the adults who will purchase and share this book with children.

Full Product Details

9780648503903

Table of Contents

Reviews

PRAISE FOR THE WISH A gateway for children to awaken their sensitivity and compassion for others. Delightful ryhming verse that brings a quality of joy and hope. - Buddhist Monk Thubten Dondrup The Wish is a very warm and uplifting story. The story's engaging verse is accompanied by beautiful collages which make the story come alive. I believe that young and old will be touched by the compassion and empathy shown by the young heroine as she copes with the loss of a beloved pet. This is a poem to be savoured more than once. Marcia McConnell PRAISE FOR SAFE RUBY, JULIE'S PREVIOUS BOOK You will fall in love with this book and with Ruby too! It is a book for all of us who love dogs. It is also about acceptance and the deep need of all people and ainimals for a home and love. JACKIE FRENCH

Author Information

"Julie Starkey's lifetime connection with animals shifted to one of concern upon reading Peter Singer's Animal Liberation. She commenced writing as a means of expressing this concern and to increase awareness of the human involvement in animal suffering. Julie and her husband, Gary, are vegan and live on a small property at Wilmington, in rural South Australia. The Wish is Julie's second children's picture book. Full time artist printmaker, occasional illustrator, Sandra Starkey Simon lives in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. Her themes and passions come from close to home, people and their lives, domestic and wild animals, the flora of the bush and the preservation of the environment. Sandra illustrated Scarlet Loves to Chase, written by Julie Starkey. She also made a series of portraits for a compilation of biographical stories published by Hale & Iremonger. Sandra likes art collaboration and worked with her long time art partner Fanny Retsek on the children's picture book ""The Wish"" illustrating it with their poetic blend of collage and drawings. Fanny Retsek is a professional artist. She combines printmaking with drawing, collage and stitching and often uses the multiple of print to create large-scale installations. Her work focuses on animal rights, species decline and the cohabitation of humans and animals. She exhibits internationally and her prints are included in the collections of Fine Art Museums, San Francisco, Oakland Museum of Art, and the Corcoran in Washington DC. Her work has received honors, including an award from the curator of prints and drawings at the Chicago Art Institute. Fanny has been collaborating and exhibiting with Sandra Starkey Simon since 2002. The Wish is her first children's book."

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available