The Wishing Tree

Rating:
Summary: Story based on Chinese custom
Review: The boy Ming is disappointed in the wishing tree introduced to him by his grandmother when the tree fails to give him his wish that his aged grandmother survive her illness. But after a time when he does not go to it anymore, he comes near it again when a group of friends invite him to go with them. In talking with his friends and a nearby vendor, Ming realizes that the tree granted his grandmother's greatest wish for him--that he be happy. The simple tale is based on a real tree in a village in Hong Kong. The author Thong with bright pictures by McLennan describe how the Chinese write their wishes on pieces of paper, and toss these into the branches of the tree. Following the tale, the author gives directions on how young readers can follow this practice for themselves with their own wishing tree.


Rating:
Summary: A deftly woven and lovely picturebook story
Review: Young readers ages 4-10 will find Wishing Tree by Roseanne Thong to be a deftly woven and lovely picturebook story set in modern Hong Kong and telling of a young boy and his grandmother who visit a rural temple's Wishing Tree every lunar New Year. Connie McLennan's realistic drawings enhances a story which tells how a wishing tree helps a youngster solve common problems in life.