FINLEY THE FROG AND THE MAGICAL WISHING FLOWER

In Dee’s children’s book, a young frog saves his village and learns the joy of just being himself after he finds a mysterious flower that grants wishes.

Finley the frog’s older siblings constantly mock him due to his small size and lack of athletic ability. While Finley enjoys reading and singing in the choir, he really wants to be an athlete like his brothers, sisters, and cousin. One day, Finley stumbles across a magic flower with three yellow petals, with each one representing a wish; the young frog immediately wishes to be strong. As he is enjoying his newfound strength in the pond, however, a terrifying water snake begins chasing him, and Finley is snatched up in the jaws of a crow. Finley then wishes to cancel his first wish and returns to normal. Later, constant rains threaten to flood the frogs’ town of Croaksville. Despite the selfish pleas of the mayor and council to save their houses, Finley decides to use his last wish to save all of the frogs’ homes. From then on, Finley is treated with respect and learns to appreciate himself, knowing that, “over time, he would grow bigger and stronger.” Lock’s colorful illustrations employ minimal lines and extensive shading to create simple yet effective images that enhance the plot. Dee incorporates numerous wildlife elements to illustrate Finley’s journey toward self-acceptance, which is sure to appeal to animal enthusiasts, but the transition from Finley’s magical adventure to the rain-flooded rescue feels abrupt. While the book’s overarching theme of loving oneself is admirable, the execution unfortunately falls flat.

A simple tale of learning to love yourself that is light on excitement.