If Wishes were books I’d have more than I do even now!

This is going to be my Delicious! Book. As the rules said that food had to mentioned. Just not what kind of food. And yes, food is mentioned. Granted it is food for a cat, but food nonetheless.

Cat Wishes looks like it might be a whimsical poem, but it is a small story about a hungry cat who in the format of Aesop’s Lion and the Mouse, spares his snake dinner. And in the theme of many fairy and folktales the snake promises wishes to the cat. Of course, Cat does not believe in wishes. Still, he lets the snake go. After all, if there were wishes, he would wish for a fish. And just because he gets a fish, does not mean wishes are real. Cat finally does use all his so-called-wishes and the last one does bring him a lot more than he ever could have wished for.

Kenard Pak has created whimsically colorful illustrations to this slightly odd, but overall really sweet bedtime story. Their signature style (as you can compare with their illustrations in Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn and Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter) is present here. The colors are muted and yet pop off the page. They have their own story as well. Plus, the abstractness (though still realistic) helps bring the fantasy and magic into play.

The text of Calista Brill brings into play food by the fact the snake could have been food, the fish was food and at the end, our cat narrator (spoiler alert) meets a friend with a picnic basket, who had some wishes of her own.