Lily the Elf: The Wishing Seed

Lily the Elf: The Wishing Seed by Anna Branford, illustrated by Lisa Coutts (Walker Books)

PB RRP $ 7.95

ISBN 9781925081060

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

The Wishing Seed is the fourth book in the Lily the Elf series of books for 5 year olds or beginners. Lily is reading her favourite book. It is about an elf princess. She loves the princess’ crown and longs to have one of her own. Her crown is from her dress-up collection and one of the points is broken. She catches a lucky floating Dandelion seed. As she does so, her dress-up crown falls off and another point breaks away.

She makes a wish on the seed for a real elf princess crown and believes it will come true.  Lily tells Granny but as usual, Granny reminds her that fixing things is better than wishing for things.

Lily draws herself wearing her new crown. She waits for the mail bee, looks at sparrows and dragonflies hoping they are carrying her crown in their beaks. But at night she’s disappointed. Her seed wish hasn’t come true. Dad and Granny tell her they sometimes don’t.

In the morning, the only thing Lily finds is the broken point of her dress-up crown. But Dad has a box of useful things and Granny is a genius when it comes to making old things new again.

As Lily waits for the mail bee, she listens to the noises coming from Granny’s flat. What could be going on in there?

This story is a wonderful example to children about the joy and satisfaction that can be found in restoring an old item instead of discarding it and replacing it with something new, which isn’t always possible.