Hot off the Disney Press comes Wish by illustrator and author of childrens books Matthew Cordell. While Disney Press is well known for movie tie-in publications, few Disney fans realize the amount of original content that gets published as well. This latest children’s book was released on March 3rd and came as an unexpected surprise.
Wish tells the story of an elephant couple and the things they do while waiting for their wish to come true. That wish, as you might be able to guess from the cover, is for a baby to join their family. The illustrations are full of charm and the nameless elephants are very hugable. But the real magic of Wish lies in the text.
While not very wordy, Wish is incredibly touching. Children will take it at face value while reading it or having it read to them, but parents will understand the deeper meaning. The elephant couple starts their journey not realizing what they needed to complete them. Once they understand that they need a baby, it becomes emotional for anyone whose ever yearned to be a parent or had a difficult time getting there. The ending where the baby elephant comes riding in on the ship they built is so sweet that it’s hard not to tear up a bit.
Childrens books are a dime a dozen and more often than not offer little entertainment value for the parents forced to read them aloud to their children. Wish, on the other hand, almost feels crafted more for parents. With such beautiful illustrations and such a sweet story, kids will find it easy to love as well. It’s a win-win and I highly recommend it to any parent who finds themselves spending lots of time reading books to their kids.