#blogbookaday: Carmela Full of Wishes

Summary:

“When Carmela wakes up on her birthday, her wish has already come true–she’s finally old enough to join her big brother as he does the family errands. Together, they travel through their neighborhood, past the crowded bus stop, the fenced-off repair shop, and the panaderia, until they arrive at the Laundromat, where Carmela finds a lone dandelion growing in the pavement. But before she can blow its white fluff away, her brother tells her she has to make a wish. If only she can think of just the right wish to make…” (Taken from Goodreads)

Review:

Some little girls wish to become a princess or have a pet horse. But when Carmela finds a dandelion, she thinks very hard about what wish to make. As Carmela and her brother run the family’s errands, she takes her time thinking of the perfect wish. But what happens when her dandelion puff blows away before she gets a chance to make her wish?

Personal Reaction:

This is a story filled with hope for a better future. It’s the story of a young girl who has family concerns that others never have to think about. It’s the story of the power of dreams and working hard to achieve them. I’m a huge fan of Christian Robinsons’s artwork that is filled with collage and always reflects real life with colors and basic shapes. This would make a great read aloud for the Thanksgiving season when we should all take a few moments to be thankful for what we have and make plans for where and what we want to be in the future.

Title: Carmela Full of Wishes
Author: Matt de la Peña
Illustrator: Christian Robinson
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 9, 2018

This is a new idea I’m trying on my blog this year that was inspired by @donalynbooks and @heisereads – to provide a brief review of a picture book every day of 2018. You’ll get a brief summary of the story, a review of the content, illustrations and theme, my personal reaction to the book and all the pertinent publication information! Enjoy!