Big Birthday Wishes

The perfect fit for the birthday kid, Big Birthday Wishes by Yolanda T. Marshall and Daria Lavrova reminds readers to be careful what they wish for.

Mr. Mayers bake shop is a pretty magical place. When seven kids, all with the exact same birthday, have a joint party, each with their own special cake from Mr. Mayers, chaos ensues.

This book is big time fun! Yolanda T. Marshal has taken the birthday wish and super sized it in this story. Each child has a birthday wish that, when wished, causes massive amounts of cake, bubbles, cherries, strength, ice cream, etc to descend upon the party guests making for a very messy and uncomfortable birthday party.  This story reminds readers that wishes are not always as exciting as you may think.

I love how this story has a ton of action words in bold throughout to encourage young readers to participate in the reading of the story. It felt like Yolanda T. Marshal was capturing some of the magic that has made Robert Munsch a household name, while infusing her own unique flair.

What always impresses me about Yolanda’s work is that she not only creates these fun and whimsical stories but she is always certain to include some thinking moments, some additional activities and always the most delicious of recipes creating an reading experience for everyone to enjoy from young readers all the way up to their adults. This story is a full sensory experience and I am always here for that.

Daria Lavrova contributes her own magic to the story in her dynamic and colourful illustrations. Her work adds to the charm and the whimsy and is filled with chaos and colour keeping readers entertained each time they open the book for a reading.

Ironically, this book arrived on my doorstep on my birthday and wouldn’t you know, it was my big birthday wish to have books appear on my doorstep!