Inspired by a fantastical fish, a shy girl learns she has the wherewithal to reach out to others when the moment calls for it. There are lots of kids on Kiki Karpovitch’s block, but joining in their play is intimidating. When Kiki (who has brown skin) finds a golden fish floundering on the asphalt, she rushes to put it in the bathtub. In exchange, the fish offers to grant Kiki a wish. But, Kiki’s wishes, as the fish explains—to have “lots of friends,” to be less shy— are too big. “I am a fish of small wishes.” With the fish rapidly outgrowing the tub, Kiki’s third wish, for a deep hole in the courtyard, is still too much for the fish of small wishes, so Kiki must ask for help. “Words rose like bubbles in her throat, and she almost swallowed them,” but Kiki calls out to the other kids, asking them to help her dig a hole. The work of creating a makeshift pond draws out their siblings and parents too. While she still feels “sort of shy,” Kiki also feels “proud. And happy.” The fish is safe, and Kiki’s wishes have come true—thanks to her own gumption. An author’s note reveals the inspiration behind the story: Her great-grandfather, “a big softy,” freed his family’s live Passover carp before it could become gefilte fish. The repeated pleasure of the “fish of small wishes” phrasing is just one of the delights for readers and listeners of this whimsical offering.

Fall in love with a modern fairy tale inspired by a Jewish family memory in this magical picture book by award-winning picture book creators Elana K. Arnold and Magdalena Mora.

Once, there was a girl named Kiki, who found a fish on the asphalt.

The fish was very hot and very dry.

But when Kiki put it in the bathtub, it started swimming, and growing, and . . . speaking?

"I want to grant you a wish for saving me," it said.

A wish-granting fish!

Alas, this fish was only a fish of small wishes, and Kiki’s wish was too big.

Unless . . . there was a way for both their dreams to come true.

Follow Kiki and the wish-granting fish in this contemporary fairy-tale perfect for fans of A Big Mooncake for Little Star and Carmela Full of Wishes.