Edward has big plans—and a big imagination. When he takes his bicycle (a Sky-Hopper 2000) to the park and receives three wishes from the titular company (“Buy Two. Get One Free”), his life takes some unexpected turns. Like so many kids in stories involving wishes, he spends them carelessly and finds life complicated by their aftermath. He wants his Sky-Hopper to fly, but neglects to be seated on the bike when he makes his wish. It flies. He does not. Such self-consciously goofy words as splurcher, figgler and Bog Bubbler monster distract from this tale, which moves along breathlessly—even frantically. The amount of print on many pages will discourage many young readers who might be attracted to this tall tale of wishes wasted, worlds turned upside down and set right again. Kids who like Daniel Pinkwater’s early chapter books will enjoy the wordplay here, however, and young inventors with a short attention span might enjoy hearing this read aloud. (Picture book. 4-7)
