The Wish Box

by Susan Marie Chapman, Natalia Loseva (Illustrator)

Little Mouse has many fears. His biggest fear is the Big Black Cat that lives in the park. He has other fears too, like being alone and not being part of a family. He wants to feel safe and cared for. He is, after all, just a little mouse trying to survive the dangers that come from being vulnerable in this great big world. Enter Grumpy The Iguana, The Green Parrot and Mr. Squirrel, who have decided to make Little Mouse a part of their family and present him with a very special gift called The Wish Box. Join us as we watch Little Mouse conquer his fears and carve a place for himself in his new family. The Wish Box is a story of bravery, strength, courage and, of course, the love of family.

38 pages, Hardcover

Published March 20, 2021

About the author

Susan Chapman is originally from Pennsylvania and lived most of her life outside of Philadelphia in a rural area of Amish country. She grew up on a farm with many different animals and a huge vegetable garden. Susan is one of eight children. Susan attended colleges in Pennsylvania. She has a BA in Economics from Wilkes University, an Associates Degree in Business Administration from the Business School of Widener University, and a Certification in Home Design from Philadelphia University.

After college, Susan met and married her husband, the late Michael Douglas Chapman. Susan and Michael have two beautiful children together, Michael Jr. and Avery Alanna.

Susan now resides in Naples, Florida with her two fur babies, Sugar and Cookie.

Reviews

[RiverShore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of The Wish Box written by Susan Marie Chapman

Grumpy (the Iguana), Green Parrot, and Mr. Squirrel show love and compassion as they welcome two new friends into their “family”. In this, her latest in the Grumpy the Iguana series, author Chapman has embraced some themes to which all children can easily relate: isolation and overcoming prejudice. These topics hit home to all of us considering the events the world has experienced since the beginning of 2020.

Many children are feeling isolated and lonely due to the restrictions resulting from the pandemic. Whether or not they live with a loving family, children need peer relationships to grow and develop. As Little Mouse is accepted into the “family” of friends, he is given a box full of “wishes” or ways to improve their relationships. Through this he learns acceptance, love and compassion. The latter is expressed as he reaches out to his former tormentor, Big Black Cat.

Cat has been dealing with fears resulting from the loss of his teeth which have left him in a very vulnerable state. He has been using a harsh demeanor to keep other animals at a distance without revealing his weakness. Little Mouse slowly sees the real nature of Big Black Cat and shares his realization with Cat privately. Cat is touched by Mouse’s courage and compassion and they become friends. Cat is invited to join the “friend family” and all are made better because of it.

Ms. Chapman has used her kind and thoughtful characters as messengers of hope to all who read this book.

[Kristen Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

“The Wish Box” is a story about a lonely mouse who overcomes his fears, finds kindness in others, and how some friends become our chosen family.

I like where the story was going, however, was a bit of a bumpy road, and my children and I never really felt connected to the characters. Simplicity of the illustrations were interesting, however, felt there was a missed opportunity as they were a bit lacking. I would have also loved to see the mouse pass the wish box onto the big black cat, which may be a factor in why I felt there was something missing at the end. Overall, still an okay read, but not one I would necessarily run to read.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley, The Gourmet Dog LLC, and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this story and leave my review voluntarily.

[Bruce Tamanaha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, family story

Little Mouse sneaks into Mr. Squirrel's house because he's afraid of the Big Black Cat.

Mr. Squirrel, Grumpy, and the Green Parrot make Little Mouse part of their family. Little Mouse opens the Wish Box and realizes that he has an opportunity to become a friend with the Big Black Cat.

The Big Black Cat is honored to be invited to dinner. He let's them in on his Big secret - he's a vegetarian.

The love of family and friends conquers your fears. A very entertaining book for parents and their young children.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 2 out of 5]

A simple and cosy tale about a mouse who forges friendships with other animals. The illustrations were pleasant but the story felt lacking even for a children's book. Not much really happens and it ends abruptly.

I believe the copy I read is incomplete as it has only 18 pages instead of 38 pages as stated on Amazon. I saw a Goodreads review that mentioned a 'Big Black Cat' but there's no such character in my copy.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book.

[JH · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little mouse learns about chosen family, friendship, and the power of acts of kindness. Children will love this story and appreciate the simple illustration style. References to fun and quirky foods such as mango pancakes and papaya casserole will be things that could turn into in-jokes for families!

[Coco Deane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a cute book and teaches about family.. but I feel like the book was cut off or incomplete. There is no "Big Black Cat" seen in the story.

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Notes on ARC sent to publisher.