The Three Wishes: A Christmas Story, by Alan Snow, (Nov. 2020. Pavilion), $19.95, ISBN: 978-1843653868
Ages 5-8
Long ago, when people moved about the land, a boy watched over and herded his family’s reindeer. At the annual gathering, he noticed the reindeer heading into a mysterious cave and followed them, discovering a secret inner world where it is eternally summer. The boy wants to return home, but is told that it is not possible. He’s given three wishes and asks for freedom, happiness, and time. During the year, the boy works alongside the residents of the inner world to learn about the earth; he is allowed to visit his family as long as he doesn’t wake them. Time doesn’t move as he visits his sleeping family and leaves small gifts for them so they know he was there. Every year, he returns to his family for his nightly visit, and back to the cave world for the rest of the year, adding nearby families on his visits. The residents of the cave world reward him with special gifts, like a sled and a magic feather for his reindeer, to aid him on his way, and his family leaves a special gift for him on his visit. This is a new take on the Santa Claus story, and I loved the gentle, yet bittersweet, storytelling; take care for younger readers that may be disturbed by the boy being separated from his family, but they should get the idea as the story goes on and more information is revealed. The artwork is muted, darker, and rich. The Three Wishes is a good additional book for your holiday shelves.
Mom Read It 