Wishes

Reach for this book when your child is processing a major life transition, or when you want to nurture deep empathy for the courage required to find safety. It is a powerful tool for explaining why some families must leave home and the quiet strength found in hope. Through sparse, poetic text, the story follows a young Vietnamese girl and her family as they flee their home at night for a dangerous boat journey across the sea. The narrative uses the objects around them, like a bag or a clock, to express the family's wishes for safety and peace. It is a gentle yet honest look at the refugee experience. While the journey involves real peril, the focus remains on familial love and the universal desire for a place to belong. Parents will appreciate how it handles heavy themes with lyrical grace, making it a beautiful choice for children aged four to eight who are beginning to ask questions about the world.