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Pub date September 7, 2021
ISBN 978-1645436928
Price $16.95 (USD) Hardcover
A little girl learns wishes can come true even if in different ways, thanks to the Queen Bee Nora and her best friend, Journey, in this enchanting book by Adams. Little Carly lives on Five Mile Farm in Oklahoma. She has a dog and a cat, and plenty of other pets. There is only one thing missing: a pony. When Queen Bee Nora learns about Carly’s wish, she knows she must get the little girl a pony. But finding a pony is not as easy as it seems on the surface. Adams succeeds at interweaving a story of hard work and resilience with a vibrant farming world. The young Carly and the animals are engagingly well-crafted. Queen Bee Nora’s perceptive observations and go-getter attitude are pitch perfect. David Gnass’s fun sketches capture the characters’ vibrant personality while conveying perceptive observations about country life that ring true. A hefty dash of magical realism elevates this beyond a simple story of farm-living to a well-crafted tale of solidarity and friendship, of dreams coming true, and of hard work, resilience, and hope. The cliffhanger ending will have readers salivating for the next installment. This sweet, contemplative read is great for toddlers, reluctant or tentative readers, or precocious early readers.
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Categories: children's fiction