The Three Wishes by Joanna Harrison
Three wishes! said Lulu. Does that mean I can wish for anything I like? Anything! replied the fairy. So Lulu thought and thought. I wish I were a fairy, she said. A real fairy. Lulu wants to make a fairy costume, but her mum is too busy to help her. Then she has the most wonderful surprise when she finds a fairy under her bed that grants her three wishes. For her first wish Lula asks to be a real fairy too and she spends a magical night flying and playing in the back garden with her new friend. But Lulu soon finds out that there being a fairy can hold dangers as well and when the cat pounces, she wishes she were back to her normal self again. The next day Lulu tries to tell her mother all about becoming a fairy, but ,as usual, she is too busy to listen. In frustration Lulu shouts out I wish you weren't always so busy! and so her third wish comes true. And as Mum helps Lulu finish her fairy costume, Lulu realises that her third wish has been the best of all. The Three Wishes is a truly magical adventure in which a little girl is granted the wish that so many little girls dream of, and becomes a real fairy for one enchanted night. Harrison's endearing illustrations and atmospheric palette create an irresistible midnight wonderland and the delicious excitement of the girls playing outside while the rest of the world is asleep is truly infectious. Against this fantastical background, the realities of making time for children within the context of modern family lifestyles are subtly explored, with the satisfying conclusion that relationships are what matter most of all. AGE 4-7