THE WISHING BALL

Nellie, a lonely, hungry stray cat, dreams about a wishing star that will make her wishes come true. Overhearing her, a trickster crow dupes Nellie into believing that the shiny ball he holds out to her is magic. Wishing for warmth, a meal and a friend and following the rolling, bouncing ball ultimately leads Nellie to encounter Ernst, a chummy crocodile who makes his own wishes and grants Nellie all three of hers. Now it’s the crow’s turn to, well, eat crow and off he flies, never to return. The illustrations are the real “star” of this sweet but thin story. Kleven’s colors are bright and cheerful, her characters are charmingly expressive and her brushstrokes are lively and energetic. (Picture book. 3-6)