I loved this story for several reasons such as how much multiculturalism its shows, the illustrations and the writing the author used. This book is very informational on how people around the world make wishes. Each one is unique and different, which makes this book very good. It shows multiculturalism because it shows how people makes wishes from Guatemala, Japan, Iran, Russia, South Africa, Ireland, India, Brazil, Italy, China, Australia, Israel, Mexico, Thailand, and America. This book shows many different cultures and how they do certain things. for example, in Russia, if you find a lucky coin and place it in your left shoe, you will have a wish come true and good luck on your road ahead. They also make wishes by throwing coins over their should at Moscow`s Red Square in front of the Resurrection Gate. I liked that some of the words that are hard to pronounce of the pronunciation next to them in parenthesis which helps readers read the word. The illustrations are very colorful which caught my eye and made me study the illustrations after I read the text to really see how the make wishes. The writing of this picture book is awesome because on top of each page, the text is written in a very fancy writing that gives a little information about how that culture makes wishes. Then the rest of the text is in a normal print that goes a little more in depth about how that culture makes wishes. At the end of the book, there are a couple of pages with information about the culture and about how the tradition of making wishes in each came about and then shows picture of lucky symbols with names. The message of this book is that different cultures have different ways of doing things such as making wishes and Its important to know that and respect other cultures. Many students in our schools come from other culture and have certain ways of doing things, we should be respectful and learn about other cultures so we can better understand our friends from different cultures. ( )

This book is so cool and opens up our children’s eyes to way similar things vary from culture to culture. It teaches children that no matter where you are, you can always make a wish, it just might look a little different. Students love hearing about all the traditions and superstitions other countries and cultures have about making wishes. There’s Japan, Russia, Thailand, Mexico, and many more countries addressed in this book. There are even little symbols hidden throughout the pages that big and little kids will love to search for. ( )

This delightful picture-book compendium of the diverse wishing traditions of the world profiles the customs and practices of fifteen different nations, from Guatemala to Thailand. The Brazilian New Year's celebration, in which flowers and combs are offered to Yemanja, the goddess of the sea; the tossing of coins into the Trevi Fountain, in Rome; the stirring of the Christmas pudding in Australia; the blowing out of birthday cake candle in the United States - all are actions that are taken in the belief that wishes will be granted. Sometimes the belief is that wishes will be granted if a particular object is found, or an animal seen. In India, peacock feathers, stuck carefully in the pages of books, are said to bring wishes to schoolchildren; while the Zulu of South Africa believe that the sight of a single striped weasel (an uncommon occurrence, since these animals usually appear in groups) is lucky, and that the person who sees a solitary weasel must make a wish.

Whatever the belief or practice, however, each of the fifteen wonderful examples in Wish: Wishing Traditions Around the World emphasizes both the diversity of the human family, and its unity. We may wish in different ways, and in different tongues, but the wishing itself - the desire, and the belief that somehow we can bring that desire to fruition, if we only do things a certain way - is everywhere to be found. Informative and entertaining, this lovely book also boasts the wonderfully colorful and imaginative collage artwork of talented illustrator Elisa Kleven. Young folklore enthusiasts, children interested in the diverse customs of the wide world around them, and fans of Elisa Kleven's art will all find something to appeal to them here! ( )

This is a colorful book that explores the many different traditions associated with wishing around the world. The books states them simply, so a young child can understand the tradition. It also presents them in such a way a child would be eager to participate. At the back of the book it give some additional information on some of the traditions as well as 15 lucky symbols that can be found throughout the book.
I found the book to be a charming reminder of childhood wishing. Some of the traditions from other countries I had actually done as a small child not knowing their origins.
The last line of the book is ask the reader how they wish. You can use that to start a classroom discussion about varies traditions students have when it comes to wishing. You can also have the students participate in one of the wishing traditions such as making a kite, a boat, or scrolls for a wishing tree. You could also before reading the book hide the 15 lucky symbols around the classroom and then after reading the book and discuss the symbols have the students fill out a worksheet saying where the symbols are hidden in the classroom.

This book takes the reader around the world exploring how different cultures make a wish. The author uses a combination of rhyming poetry and literal description of the cultural traditions. The illustrations incorporate cultural dress and texture while visually creating the diversity of humans, landscape, and culture. In this book, the illustrations and the individual story/poems are linked in strength.