Emilia Wishing

Written by Belen Medina
Illustrated by Magdalena Mora
Published by Random House Studio

In this poignant picture book, Emilia wishes for all the things she doesn’t have, including her own bed, a new car, and nicer clothes. But as she discovers through her mom’s sacrifices, Emilia already has what she needs.

Emilia wakes up with hot breath in her face and a sharp knee poking her from behind, wishing she had her own bed. Emilia looks out from the back seat of her old car at her neighborhood, wishing she lived on a tree-lined street in a big house with a swimming pool. And when she gets to the rundown strip mall where the thrift shop is—and not the fancy mall across the street—she models clothes for her Mama and sisters, wishing they could all be hers. But money is tight, and Mama works hard, and so she must wait. And when the day finally comes when they can make the last payment on layaway, Emilia realizes that the clothes don’t matter—her Mama’s love and joy and radiance is what does.