A Dozen Deepest Wishes
by Katya Romanoff
Trafford Publishing

"Often, a wish is in no hurry to come true
Whether you get angry or not
So you need to make an effort yourself
To make each dream a reality."

A single illustrated poem, this book is about the secret wish carried in the hearts of twelve different flowers confessed to the postman, Dandelion. The postman, instructed to collect and send the wishes out into the universe, embarks on his journey in earnest. Along the way, he finds awe and empathy for the human condition as revealed through the admissions of the flowers.

Each flower is a depiction of a type of person: a politician, a diva, a soldier, a wise old woman, etc. with their unique desires compelling them through life. Some are conceited, some lonely, but each harbors a hunger for something more, much like most people. These desires lead us to action; move us towards who we will become. Romanoff has poetically rendered the very human action of wishing through the lens of flowers. For the most part, the flowers' wishes limit themselves to the desire of that particular flower or those closest to them. They long for such things as love or success. However, the last flower Dandelion encounters separates herself from the rest with the wisdom of her long life. The lilac wishes for all creatures to know peace, for the world to be protected from the pain and grief of war. This last wish reminds us to think beyond our own needs to those of others.

Assisting Romanoff, the illustrator, Anna Zakashansky-Zverev, has exquisitely depicted each flower with a human face adding visual characteristics to the words. Together they create a world that blends fantasy with compassion. By the end, Romanoff reminds us that to wish is only the beginning. One must believe and one must act on his or her own wish if they are ever to come true.

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