I Wish Tonight [Hardcover]

Lois Rock (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

A little boy pulls the covers up under his chin--and at that, trees grow up at the foot of his bed, his quilt becomes a sail, and a soaring dream of a book sweeps forward.

In lilting rhythmic language, that moves in step with buoyant, swaying images, the dream furnishes the child--and all readers of this book--with hope for mending and healing and cooperating.

The bed boat arrives at a picnic where a blazing tree offers its gifts to all the children attending.

And there the story makes its surprising turn. Perhaps inspired by the tree, which generously offered its amazing toys and fruits within arms' reach, the children hunt down adults and share their bounty with them.

Free of do-good words and pictures, I Wish Tonight opens minds and hearts. A wistful child dares to imagine cooperative gardening, restored friendships, revived cities--always enveloped in fun and adventure.

The book's language is that of a child. Its collages are of sun-powered colors. The dream it stirs is both mystical and temptingly near.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2--In this rhyming picture book, a child snuggles under the covers and wishes on a star for all things good. Riding on a bed with a sail and an oar, he travels to the "land of beyond" where all dreams come true. He imagines a world where everything is free, and people of all colors fulfill their needs simply by taking what they require from the sky. He and his friends can "-pick lovely presents for young and for old/So no one goes hungry, and no one is cold." Here, the air and water are fresh and clean, animals have no need to fear humans, and "wrong is put right." In the morning, when the boy wakes, he looks out the window and sees promise: children of different ethnic groups playing together harmoniously. Wilson's double-page spreads display bold, brilliant colors and create a sense of movement. The dark-skinned narrator wears bright orange-and-blue, polka-dotted pajamas and is joined by youngsters and adults dressed in clothing from a variety of countries. Filled with diversity and optimism, this makes a soothing bedtime story.
Meghan R. Malone, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Lois Rock is the author of a number of rhyming books for children, and several of her shorter poems have appeared in collections of verse.

She works as a children's book editor, and live in Oxfordshire with her husband and three children.

Ann Wilson graduated from Bath College of Higher Education in 1996 with a first-class degree in illustration. Her richly coloured collages have met with rapid acclaim in the world of children's book publishing.

I Wish Tonight is her fourth book.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 28 pages
• Publisher: Good Books (November 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156148315X
• ISBN-13: 978-1561483150
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,543,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for your child's library!!, February 19, 2001

By 

Karen Hunley (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Wish Tonight (Hardcover)

"I Wish Tonight" is a beautifully written and illustrated book. The rhythmic verse is uplifting and inspirational with drawings depicting people of all races living together in harmony. And there is a great message... "We'll tell then that nothing can be bought or sold: In the land that I wish for no one will need gold..." -And my favorite- "...And let's make a great plan: that together we'll mend Anything that is broken, and carefully tend Everything in the world, keep it safe to the end... Soon, no one will know where the wastelands have been: The trees will grow tall and the deserts turn green, The air will blow clear and the rain will fall clean, And in shimmering streams silver fish will be seen"

Some (like my husband :)might think that it's too utopian and unreal...but I think that children ought to start out this way!! And hopefully never lose sight of our potential. How sad would it be for a four-year-old to see the world through cynical and jaded eyes? If you want a more grounded message with a storyline in the same spirit of open-minded acceptance, another great book is "Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon" (and you don't need to be vegetarian to appreciate it!!)

This book is an absolute treasure. I bought two copies of "I Wish Tonight". One for my son to look at now while he is still ripping books (he's only 16 months) and one to preserve for when he's older. It's that good!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story!, February 27, 2011

By 

HeidiLynn121 - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Wish Tonight (Hardcover)

I looked in the children's section of bookstores looking for a book for my 3-year-old niece for upwards of 10 hours at Christmas time. I was beginning to despair that a book like this existed. I worry that my brother and his wife are not providing the kind of globally-oriented, socially responsible education for their kids that I would hope. So I wanted a book that achieved that, and that was short enough and colorful enough to keep a 3-year-old's attention, but not so in-your-face about its message of diversity and multiculturalism that my gift seemed like a critique of their parenting or politics. Also, I felt that many of the books I found that were designed to celebrate either minority cultures in the U.S. (African American, Mexican American, etc.) or cultures around the world would frankly seem too foreign for this little white suburban girl to recognize as relating to her life in any way at this point.

Finally--FINALLY!--I found a copy of this book in the used section of the book store and I knew I had found the one (with a bonus in satisfaction for recycling). It features a young black boy laying down for bed, dreaming of a world where everyone has all that they need, people share with one another freely, and violence is unknown. The people in his dream are of every color and shape, and this is simply taken as a given. The goodness of the things the boy dreams of is, I think, indisputable, but at the same time, it delivers a very progressive message of unity and tolerance. This is how I want my nieces and nephews to begin their lives understanding about what's possible in their world.

I intend to give this book to every parent of young children I know. It's fantastic!