Make a Wish

Who here hasn’t wished, at least once, to be someone else—or something else. The trouble is, Oliver makes his wish on a falling star . . . and that changes everything.

One night, as he’s out walking his dog, Oliver realizes something . . . a dog’s life is so much easier than his. That night, seeing a falling star out his window, he makes a wish—to trade places with his dog. A short while later he wakes up and finds his wish has come true! But it turns out, being a dog isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Thoughtfully written, with adorable art by illustrator Chrish Vindhy, author Jennifer Decker’s debut picture book Oliver and the Wishing Star is the epitome of “be careful what you wish for.” While some moments felt heartbreakingly true, like the struggle a child goes through to balance what they want with what they are told to do, and the feeling of not being in control of one’s own life, others are just laugh out loud funny, as when Oliver realizes that being a dog means eating dog food!

All in all, a charming story that will leave kids looking for the next falling star to wish on!

5-STAR REVIEW

Reviewed By Trisha Dawn for Readers’ Favorite

Jennifer Decker’s Oliver and the Wishing Star is a story about a young boy named Oliver who made a life-changing wish on a wishing star. Oliver was upset and frustrated because he was not allowed to go to his friend’s house since he was not done with his homework. He couldn’t help but think that life was unfair and that being a dog seemed better than living his life as a human. As soon as he saw a shooting star, he immediately made his wish, and to his surprise, he became a dog! As Oliver excitedly ran around town freely, he learned that being a dog was not as great as he thought it would be. Will he ever be able to return to his family, or will he roam the streets forever as a dog?

Oliver and the Wishing Star is a fast-paced and well-written story that teaches young readers a valuable lesson. Through Oliver’s struggles, readers are taught to be more appreciative of what life has to offer. This is expressed by Jennifer Decker in the book: “The grass beneath your feet is greener than you think.” Parents and children alike will enjoy reading this extraordinary and fun tale. Aside from the inspiring and meaningful lessons expressed through such an interesting story, the simple and lovely illustrations on every page of the book were also captivating, making the story more magical. I understood and sympathized with Oliver’s troubles and learned a lot from the challenges he faced in the story. Overall, I found Oliver and the Wishing Star to be a truly inspirational and charming tale!