A Wish and a Prayer

A WISH AND A PRAYER
By Beth Bence Reinke
Illustrator, Ginger Nielson


Beth Bence Reinke’s picture book, A WISH AND A PRAYER, is the story of a boy and his parakeet. It’s also a story of wishes and prayers. One day Jason is pretending he’s Captain Jason, a pirate, and Sonny is a pirate parakeet. His mother is shaking a rug out the open window while Jason and Sonny whistle and chirp at each other as only a boy and his pet can communicate. When an ambulance roars down the street, Sonny, terrified by the siren, flies out the window. Jason tweets and whistles, but Sonny is gone. So the search begins.

Ms. Reinke has written a lovely story about who or what hears wishes and who hears prayers and how Jason comes to realize the difference between the two. Ginger Nielson’s illustrations bring the story to life with characters that you just want to reach out and hug and tell them all will be okay. This picture book could be used in Sunday school classes, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes, and up to second or third grade. I also recommend it for parents and grandparents to snuggle up with their little ones at bedtime and read together.