Kid Review: Three Wishes (The Rescues #3) by Tommy Greenwald

 

About This Book:

Three new adventures in which Moose, Bear, and Tiger each wish to change something about themselves but realize happiness is in accepting who you are

 

In three new stories, a playdate with a dog named Wolf leads Tiger to wish he were stronger, but he retrieves a lost toy and shows he has other skills to offer. Bear finds a way to make friends with a new mailman when he passes their house and doesn’t stop to share treats. And on Saturday, a game on the cat tower gets out of hand and they all collapse about laughing, but Cathy banishes the pets to play in the yard. There they reflect on the things they wished they were and realize they are perfect just the way they are. Three more delightful episodes packed with humor, friendship, and fun.

 

*Review Contributed By Karen Yingling, Staff Reviewer*

I Like You Just the Way You Are

After their adventures in Finding Home and Best Day Ever, Moose and Bear, two rescue dogs, and their cat friend Tiger, return for three more stories for emergent readers. In the first, they invite their friend Wolf for a play date. The dogs very much enjoy a game called Jumping on Top of Each Other, but since Tiger isn’t as strong as the dogs, he doesn’t enjoy it quite as much. When a favorite toy is in danger, however, Tiger proves that you don’t necessarily have to be strong in order to make a difference. In the next story, Mailman Joe is replaced by Mailman Jack. Bear is devastated, since Joe is a favorite who always stops to give Bear treats and attention. Eventually, Bear brings Jack a bone to try to win his friendship. Bear is relieved when Jack lets him keep the bone but does share some treats. In the final adventure, the rescues’ owner, Cathy, is having a quiet morning of resting. The trio want to play, and Moose manages to crash the cat tower by jumping on it. He wishes he were smaller, but Bear and Tiger manage to convince him that he is perfect just the way he is. In the end, all three pets are happy with themselves, and are glad to be together with Cathy.
Good Points
While these books are a little larger than classic I Can Read books, they have a very similar feeling. For some reason, Pate’s illustrations remind me especially of Crosby Bonsall’s titles like Who’s a Pest? Using animals to show young readers how to be happy with the way they are is a good ploy, especially when the animals are as cute as Tiger, Moose, and Bear!

Having adopted several rescue dogs, I’m a big fan on shining a positive light on this practice. Each of the animals has some challenges, as many rescues do, but are so happy to be with their loving owner. They are living their best lives as they play in the yard, have friends over, and spend time inside in their cozy house. The colors in this are very happy, and it was also a good idea to have each of the pets be a different hue, so that they are easy to tell apart when they are all in a cuddle puddle!

Series are always a comforting way to practice reading skills, and The Rescues will be hugely popular with fans of Rylant’s Ready To Read Henry and Mudge books, Butler’s Kayla and King mysteries, and Dotich and Alley’s Peanut and Pearl adventures.

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