Children's & YA
November 2024
Ebele wishes he and his widowed mother would have a memorable Christmas with lots of presents. With his mother barely able to afford food and his friends mocking him, Ebele is afraid that he might not get any presents at all. When a strange man comes to town, Ebele opens his heart and home reluctantly. In return, the stranger teaches him there is more to Christmas than just gifts and that kindness is a virtue rewarded by great fortune. WISH MAKER tells the story of Ebele, a 9-year-old boy whose widowed mother can't afford to grant his wish for a bicycle. His friends cannot wait to show off their Christmas presents to Ebele, and they delight in making fun of him because he and his mother are poor. Unable to stand their taunting, Ebele considers hiding indoors during Christmas but meets a quirky, annoying, smelly stranger who claims to be an angel. The stranger, however, makes him realize his wish could come true only if they went fishing in the river where his father died. WISH MAKER is a blend of magic and realism set during Christmas week in a riverine village in southeast Nigeria. By turns sad and funny, it explores themes such as peer pressure, fear, kindness, hope, courage, and friendship.
