One Wish

Linda Ludke is a librarian at the London Public Library.

Looking through her window on a summer’s evening, a young girl wishes
on a star for “a cottage by the sea.” She lovingly relates the
pleasures of the seaside, such as gliding a toy boat “over the cool,
clear water, the wind tugging at her sails,” feeding the “greedy
gulls” along the beach, and searching for feathers, stones, and
“treasures delicately placed on the sand by the hand of the leaving
tide.” The evocative images appeal to all the senses. The final pages
reveal the narrator in old age, sitting on the porch of her
long-ago-wished-for cottage.

On each double-page spread, the poetic text appears in a box along the
right side and is beautifully complemented by the author’s luminous
oil paintings. The realistic illustrations capture the Nova Scotian
landscape and offer close-up details of sandcastles, seashells, and a
“purr-fect” kitten lapping milk from a saucer.

This lyrical, elegant picture book celebrates the joys of nature and
the comforts of home. Highly recommended.