Contains spoilers
Little Mole’s Wish is a cute story, but also is a bit sad. This is especially true for the almost end. I am not sure how a child might take the fact there is a loss, but suddenly, “poof” the lost person is back. However, Sang-Keun Kim’s illustrations are lovely.
Kim’s illustrations are just adorably comfortable. They are softly colored and perfectly detailed without being over-the-top. They are even slightly fuzzy, but not in any negative way. They just show how calm and gentle the story is meant to be.
The art tells a story that is slightly different from the text. You see Mole building a friend and you think something might be wrong as each bus that stops Mole does not get on, but then you see that it is all “okay” at the end. But the text tells you the other part of the story. Mole builds a snowman friend (who goes through some changes) and the drivers only see a snowman. That is how it should be, right? After all, we all know what would happen to a snowman on a warm bus. It is not until the last bus driver sees a cold, lonely Mole and a friend that you think things get better. Of course, the friend is a snowman. But the way the driver handles it is sweet and thoughtful. My only issue is when Mole tells his beloved Grandmother about his friend leaving do things get a little “iffy” for me.
Some people will enjoy the fact the grandmother can help her grandson by bringing the snowman friend back. But I was leaning towards this being a book about loss. A friend/loved one has passed on and now we must deal with this loss. Maybe I am taking things too literal and Mole understands that the friend was just a snowman, but I have an odd feeling due to some things said, he does not realize that snowmen melt, even though it was made of snow. With that said, it is a nice story and the right reader will enjoy it immensely.
Originally published: South Korea: Sakyejul Publishing, Ltd., 2017