The First Third Wish (Little Gems) by Ian Beck
| The First Third Wish (Little Gems) by Ian Beck | |
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| Category: Dyslexia Friendly | |
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Reviewer: Margaret Young
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| Summary: A young fairy's first assignment nearly results in disaster, but sometimes mistake can result in happy ending as well. A lovely book for developing readers. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 86 | Date: September 2013 |
| Publisher: Barrington Stoke ltd | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1781122457 | |
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This is a lovely story of a lost wish. Cobweb has bungled her very first assignment, losing the third wish meant for a kindly woodcutter. She managed to replace it with a spare, but her job will not be complete until the missing wish is found and returned. It seems a lost wish is very dangerous indeed as it gives the finder an unlimited supply of wishes - and not all people are careful about what they wish for. As luck would have it though, the wish has found its way just to the place where it most needed, where it will result in a true happily ever after, not only for the young man who finds it but for many others as well.
This is a lovely story for girls who love fairies and princesses, but it is so much more than the typical fairy tale with the helpless princess and heroic prince. The princess is not at all stereotypical. She doesn't wait on a dashing hero to rescue her but sets about rescuing herself. But everyone needs a little help sometimes and in this case, it comes from a kind young man who loves the stars and astronomy as much as she does, and just happens to be having wonderful luck with wishing coming true.
I loved the idea of having a princess interested in astronomy instead of something like needlework or keeping everything tidy. I liked the idea of her having a mind of her own and helping herself rather than waiting for rescue as well. This is a nice story where goodness is rewarded, but what I liked most of all was that it all came about due to a mistake. We all make mistakes, and sometimes what seems like a disaster at the moment may work out for the best in the long run. What a lovely message for young children. The illustrations are as magical as the text. They resemble shadow puppets and really add another layer of enjoyment to this wonderful little book.
This book is part of Barrington Stoke's Little Gem's line for developing readers. This series is designed to support children taking their first steps to independent reading, whether they are dyslexic or not. Working with a team of experts in the field, Barrington Stoke has developed their own font which is specially designed to make reading as easy as possible for children with dyslexia. They also print all of their books on a thick, off white, non-glare paper to minimise distractions which can make reading more difficult. Although created as dyslexia-friendly, this format makes reading easier for all children. My own son has often commented on how much easier it is to read these books, making reading into a truly enjoyable experience for young children.
Little Gems books have all the features of Barrington Stoke's books for older children but are designed for a younger age group. The easy to read text, high-quality illustrations and exceptionally high-interest stories give these books a wide interest range, with a relatively low reading age. Little Gems have a reading of age 6. They are recommended for children from 5-8 with average reading abilities, and ages 7-10 for struggling readers. I think this book fits very well into these age guidelines but would suggest considering it for children as young as age 4 as a read-aloud story. While this book is perfect as tool to help children develop literacy, it is good enough to easily become a bedtime favourite as well. Little Gems describes this book perfectly - it really is a gem.
If this book appeals then we can also recommend:
Cherry Green Story Queen by Annie Dalton and Charlie Adler
My Friend's a Gris-Kwok (Little Gems) by Malorie Blackman and Andy Rowland
Grey Island Red Boat by Ian Beck, which isn't dyslexia-friendly but will appeal to emerging readers.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The First Third Wish (Little Gems) by Ian Beck at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The First Third Wish (Little Gems) by Ian Beck at Amazon.com.
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