Jubal's Wish by Audrey Wood and illustrated by Don Wood

Jubal's Wish by Audrey Wood and illustrated by Don Wood is a vibrant and unique story that really grabbed my attention. From the moment I opened the book, I was bombarded with bright colors and extremely detailed illustrations. I feel as though the animals in this book could be viewed as people and their situations they face in real life. Often times, people overlook the small joys in life. It is unfortunate, but sometimes people choose to focus on the negative aspects and that can bring others down too. Even when they should be happy, sometimes people decide to ignore how good things truly are. However, in the end, sometimes the "bad" things turn out to be positive. There was a lot of text on each page, so the book seemed longer than the other books I had read by Don and Audrey Wood. However, the book does not drag on. I was entertained from the beginning to the end.
Jubal was granted a wish, and he wished to make the lives of his friends better. At first it appeared that his wish did not come true. However, in the end, the lives of everyone improved. Jubal's friends did not want to have a picnic with him in the beginning, but in the end this changed. The storm cleared and a rainbow signified that better times were ahead for everyone.
The illustrations in this book showed so much emotion that I felt invested in this book. I wanted things to go well for Jubal, and I hated when he was sad. They illustrations clearly showed what was going on, and I felt as though I was there. I am so pleased with the visual aspect of this book that I would recommend it to others.
I think this book would be a great read aloud with students. It offers so many possibilities for discussion. With older students, the deeper meaning could be examined. With younger students, I would like to discuss the characters and their personalities/emotions. Students could talk about something they originally thought would be a negative thing that turned out to be positive.
I really liked this book, and I would recommend it to others because of its thought provoking plot and detailed illustrations.