THE BIG WISH
by Carolyn Conahan & illustrated by Carolyn Conahan
If wishes were dandelions, then... a whole town might go crazy.
Little Molly's yard is a carpet of dandelions. Her neighbor Granny Perkins, who also happens to be the mayor, calls them "a public nuisance." But to Molly they represent a big wish that she's growing: a World Record Wish, in fact. Molly's idea that each dandelion represents a wish quickly catches on with the community. Even Granny Perkins dreams of the fame that a world record would bring to the town. Molly and her friend Poppy put banners and posters and wish boxes all over the place. Close on the heels of the deposit of personal wishes comes a public argument about what's the best "big" wish for the world. Joy? Wisdom? A clean environment? The debaters turn to Molly to decide, but she finesses the question, saying that she needs to check and see if the dandelions are ready. They are! They're white puffballs, ready for wishing. Then a threatening wind, sign of a pending storm, endangers the whole enterprise. Citizens speedily mobilize with heartwarming teamwork to protect the puffballs. And they succeed. Disaster averted, everyone picks up a dandelion and, in perfect unison, blows their wishes into the air. Conahan's whimsical watercolors, full of swirl and movement, complement her gentle fable of community harmony.