Download: FREE! If you only had one wish to make, would you change your life, or would you change someone else's? Can a Goldfish find happiness in his dreary surroundings? Trapped in a tiny glass tank, a miserable goldfish makes it perfectly clear how disappointed he is with life. That is, until a series of wishes granted by a magic star reveal that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Will the fish ever find true happiness? Join him on his quest for a better life and his journey into selflessness in this heartwarming tale with such a bittersweet ending it will make you cry with joy. www.EthanCrownberry.com COPYRIGHT © 2005 by Vincent Somerville All Rights Reserved. No part of A Fish with a Wish may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Author.

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Ethan Crownberry’s new children’s book is reminiscent of the old Dr. Seuss rhymes that have charmed children and adults alike for generations. Ethan’s books have the same delightful qualities and are surely destined to go a long way in their own right. With the wit of a dedicated author and the sensitivity of a renowned poet his story literally dances across the pages.

When a young goldfish is bought from a pet store and brought home only to be placed in a tiny cramped bowl; then completely ignored by the man who purchased him, the little fish begins to pine for greater things. Why had he been left alone, why was he here with no one to care? His begging and pleading falls on deaf ears as no one appears to feed him or change his water bowl.

As the darkened shadows of evening begin to fill the small room with gloom, the fish has all but given up on being rescued from his dire fate. Suddenly a bright light shines through the window and falls on the tiny fish in his tiny fishbowl. A star has appeared in the heavens near his window and has come to grant the unhappy fish a wish.

A whole new world of possibilities has opened up to our little fish friend as he ponders his first wish. But as the night wears on, the little fish becomes more and more unhappy with each new wish that he is granted. Finally the star has had enough and tells the fish he will give him one more chance and one more wish. But the star doesn’t grant the wish before warning the fish to think long and hard on what he wants to waste his final wish before the star returns the following evening. So the fish is left alone to think about his plight and what it would take to make him truly happy.

You will want to share this delightful story with your children and find out what lesson the little fish learns when he makes his final wish. Ethan Crownberry has written a wonderfully entertaining story that teaches children how to care about others.

Sandra E. Graham
BookPleasures.com


StoriesForChildrenMagazine.org

If you like poetry, you will like this book. And even if you don't like poetry, you might like the book anyway. It is "Poetic Adventure #2." By the same author, "Poetic Adventure #1" is Bobby Bumble's Afraid to Fly about a bumblebee, and "Poetic Adventure #3" is The Willies about monsters. A Fish with a Wish was born when author Ethan Crownberry wanted to write something interesting about an uninteresting subject just to see if he could do it. A goldfish in a glass tank popped into his head, and it seemed the most uninteresting subject that he could think of at the time. And "wish" rhymes with "fish," so he had an obvious starting point.

This goldfish has been bought by a man as a gift for his daughter and was put on an old table in a tank that was too small with water that was too cold. The fish complains, complains, and complains, and then wishes that he were something else. A star says that it will grant his wish. The fish first wishes to be a whale, but finds that whales are hunted. He next wishes to be a bird, but finds that birds are hunted too. In fact, all of the different things that he wishes to be end up having major disadvantages. Finally, the star will grant him one more wish but says that he must think about it for a whole day. During the day, he finds that the little girl for whom he was purchased is confined to a wheelchair because she cannot walk. They spend a pleasant day together, and when the star returns the next night, the fish has a surprise wish.

Poetry is not necessarily my cup of tea, but I found this book a very pleasant read. Rather than being a collection of poems, it is an entire story in poetic form like a fairy tale or fable with a couple of very important lessons to teach the reader. First, whenever we wish that we are something other than who and what we really are, there will likely be problems. Second, when we quit focusing only on our own desires and look around to see the needs of others, we can learn to be much more content with who and what we are. The poetry has a "Dr. Seuss" appeal to it that is clear and easy to read. Also the shaded black and white full page illustrations are eye-catching. Most children should enjoy this book, as I did.

Wayne S. Walker
storiesforchildrenmagazine.org