Author: April Lynn Pelton;Contributing Author: Iris Pelton-Hamlett

The God-inspired picture book, The Grove of 100 Wishes, by April Lynn Pelton and Iris Pelton-Hamlett, tells of an African Emperor who has three children, the gorgeous but proud Ada, the strong but arrogant and spiteful Ade’, and the beautiful and loving Ayanna.

So as to encourage children to bond and for them to show their true mettle, the Emperor prepares them to undertake a long journey to a Grove with 100 wishes. There, they will each be able to make a single wish, but, if they dare make any more, there will be dire consequences for them. Starting out on their journey, Ada and Ade’ cannot help bickering and bullying Ayanna for her compassionate stance taken toward the commoners.

They, of course, are far too selfish to care about others. How they respond to an elderly lady whom they encounter along the way, as well as to the various situations in which they find themselves, reflects their individual characters. The adventure, in short, is an exciting romp into the unknown.

A key element of The Grove of 100 Wishes is the parent and educator resources with which the book ends. The tools and tips provided consist of a discussion of the importance of having character, and what good character traits are; discussion points for parents and educators; the reasons for bullying not being OK (which defines the nature of bullying and what a child can do about it); a description of the health benefits to be gained from showing kindness, and how one should practice it every day; how to identify the different parts of a story; discussion points for parents and educators; and a glossary of the more difficult words contained in the text.

April Lynn Pelton’s and Iris Pelton-Hamlett’s The Grove of 100 Wishes, in teaching children how to overcome bullying, should prove to be an invaluable aid for the book’s target audience of early readers. The character development in the story is well managed, and the lesson learned should strike home to those who like to bully others. I loved the way in which the selfishness of Ada and Ade’ is contrasted with the selflessness of Ayanna.

While a major aspect of the work is educational, the fun element of storytelling comes across as being of equal importance. The story is irresistible and so, too, should be the lesson taught. In brief, The Grove of 100 Wishes is bound to be a winner, in both a home and school setting.