When Carmela wakes up on her birthday, her wish has already come true–she’s finally old enough to join her big brother as he does the family errands. Together, they travel through their neighborhood, until Carmela finds a lone dandelion. But before she can blow its white fluff away, her brother tells her she has to make a wish.
WATCH and LISTEN to the Brightly story time for Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson:
RHYME: Star Light, Star Bright
Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.
PAINT a dandelion!
- Click here to use a fork and yellow paint to create a dandelion.
- Click here to use white paint and make fingerprint dandelion puffs.
MAKE A WISH. Think about what you would wish for yourself. Also think about what you would wish for your family, for your neighbors, for the community helpers you see around you, and more. You can write these wishes down, or if you don’t write yet, you can draw what you wish for them. By the time you are done, you will have a whole book full of wishes!
FIND MORE BOOKS about dandelions using our new digital service Hoopla Digital. Type “dandelion” in the search box and click the magnifying glass. Then click the box next to “Childrens Titles Only.” You get 10 Hoopla credits per month, so choose carefully!
If you would like more picture books that reflect the Latinx American experience, you could read Alma and How She Got Her Name in Overdrive or in Hoopla Digital.
Click here to find Matt de la Peña’s award-winning Last Stop on Market Street in Overdrive.
FIND VIDEOS about seeds and flowers. Visit Kanopy Kids (through Kanopy) to watch a signed story of How a Seed Grows into a Sunflower.