Wish in a Tree

Wish in a Tree includes some of your beloved characters from Fish in a Tree as they navigate their neurological differences from others. Oliver’s brain is constantly bubbling with questions and many ideas, making it hard to focus at school. Oliver is also worried that he won’t fit in at school because of his brain as the other kids are already poking fun at him. Lucky for Oliver, though, he has a friend who reminds him that it's okay that his brain is different and that his brain is something to celebrate and embrace.

What I Liked: This book opens by introducing you to Oliver as he shares how school makes him feel and why he feels that way. Oliver shares the various thoughts that go through his mind as he tries to focus in class, and also how he feels when other children say negative things to him, such as calling him weird. Throughout the rest of the book, you see Shay, one of Oliver’s classmates, say mean things to him and taunt him for his interests, making Oliver feel like he needs to change. This is until one of Oliver’s friends reminds him of how brilliant his brain is and how he should embrace it because of the various intelligent people who have similar ways of thinking.

The illustrations in this book are soft and inviting, as they look and feel like children’s drawings were incorporated. The backgrounds on various pages add to the story as it feels like you are reading journal entries written on lined paper, drawing paper, etc. There are scenes in the book in which you are transported into Oliver’s mind and catch glimpses of the way that he sees things such as when he sees his pencil as a rocket before developing questions that stemmed just from that one thought.

Final Verdict: Wish in a Tree is a glorious book that teaches neurodivergent children ways and reasons to embrace their differences. It is a must-read for those who have enjoyed Fish in a Tree and want to spend more time with the characters we met in that book. This is a heartwarming book that neurodivergent adults and children will enjoy as they see their experiences reflected and are taught to embrace themselves, and as others are taught about the ways their differences make them remarkable.