THE WISHING BALL is also  available from Amazon in a Spanish and English edition, published by Bab'l Books! Nellie is a stray cat who wishes she had a house to live in, warm meals, and a best friend. When a crafty crow overhears her wishing, he decides to play a trick on her for his own amusement - which is how Nellie ends up putting all her faith in a rubber ball she believes to be a magic star that grants wishes. But even though it's not a magic star, the rubber ball turns out to be just what Nellie needs. When the ball bounces out of her grasp, Nellie chases it into a faraway town, and one by one, all of her wishes come true. This is the story of a delightfully surprising chain of events, with lively illustrations, a colorful cast of creatures, and hidden details on every page. PreSchool-Grade 1–Nellie, a stray cat, wishes on a star for a warm home and good food. A crow, wanting to have some fun at her expense, gives her a ball and tells her that it is a magic star that will make her wishes come true. As Nellie wishes on the ball, it rockets away with her chasing after it. It leads her through a river, past a dog, and to a faraway town where she meets a crocodile named Ernst who takes her home, feeds her, and becomes her friend. The text is written in a choppy manner, lacking the flow of a well-developed story. It is, however, enhanced by the vivid watercolor, ink, and cut-paper illustrations that lend warmth to the story. The small details in them will be especially intriguing to young readers. –Rebecca Sheridan, Easttown Library & Information Center, Berwyn, PA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. PreS-K. It begins with a wish. Nellie, a tawny kitten who lives in a box decorated with peaches, wishes for a warm house full of food. She wishes on a star, and then wishes that the star really is the type that makes wishes come true. A devilish crow overhears her and paints a star on a ball. He tells her that it is her star fallen to earth and if she can catch it, her wishes will come true. Then he tosses it. The cat chases it through field and town, until it bounces into the yard of Ernst, a young crocodile. The kitty shares the news of the ball-star, and Ernst makes his own wishes. At first it seems the animals have no luck; then it seems certain their wishes have come true. And the crow? When he learns the wishing ball really works, he chases it up to the sky, where the duo has sent it. Immensely satisfying, the story is brought visually to life by Kleven's naif artwork, which employs watercolors and bits of collage to make crowded, cozy pictures--with a needy, determined, darling kitty right in the middle of it all. Ilene Cooper Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Enhanced by the vivid watercolor, ink, and cut-paper illustrations that lend warmth to the story." -- School Library Journal "Immensely satisfying." -- Booklist "Kleven's colors are bright and cheerful, her characters are charmingly expressive and her brushstrokes are lively and energetic." -- Kirkus Reviews ELISA KLEVEN is the author and illustrator of many books for children and most recently illustrated The Whole Green World by Tony Johnston. She lives in Albany, California.