Wish in a Tree

by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Nancy Carpenter (illustrator)

An uplifting picture book celebrating neurodiversity, starring characters from Lynda Mullaly Hunt's New York Times bestselling novel Fish in a Tree

Oliver’s brain is a volcano of ideas—always bubbling with questions. This makes it hard to focus at school, and sometimes he worries he won’t ever fit in there. So it’s a good thing he has a friend who reminds him that great minds don’t think alike. And that a brain that blazes with curiosity and imagination is a glorious thing. Featuring artwork showcasing all the wonderful things going on in Oliver’s astonishing brain, this uplifting book celebrates out-of-the-box thinking, the power of creativity, and the importance of being proud of the things that set us apart.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, School, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Adhd, Mental Health

33 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 20, 2025

Reviews

[Shannon]

A great picture book about neurodiversity and brains of all kinds. I loved that the message of this book is that having a brain that's different isn't bad and that the world is a better place for having people who are different in all sorts of ways.

[Mrs Heidrich]

LOVE this one and it'll be a pre-order for sure! Love the layers to this one and it's a book that would be great to read to kids of all ages and to think about the conversations that could come out of this! Great descriptions of how his brain "feels" and what kinds of things he's thinking about.

[Tonya]

Words you use when speaking to classmates matter - find your ant colony- and let's celebrate how our minds are different

[Jennifer]

A little bit like a therapist writing a conversation.

[Kim]

LOVE this book! As a teacher, as a mom, and as a human. Scored a copy at NCTE in Boston this year for my kindergartener at home, and was very pleasantly surprised at how useful it’s been as a supplement to Fish in a Tree in my 4th grade classroom. An excellent message and story with the characters we already know and love (or hate *cough* Shay), and a really great way to talk about metaphors, how being different makes us better, and offers up some great language for my ADHD students to use in regards to themselves (describing their frustrations as well as positive messages to move forward).

A rare picture book, meant to be a spin off, that also works as a stand alone. If you’ve read your kiddos Fish in a Tree, you need this book- they will adore it. 10/10 Absolutely recommend. Will become a beginning of the year staple! Love Oliver to pieces :)

[Melanie Dulaney]

Lynda Mullaly Hunt takes the major of theme of her award-winning Fish in a Tree, Great Minds Don’t Always Think Alike, and puts it in picture book form with a young boy named Oliver who doesn’t feel like he fits at school, especially when classmate Shay keeps pointing out his differences. At recess, he tries to hide in a tree, wishing that he could be like everyone else, but his friend Albert joins him, pointing out many ways that being your own unique self can be a great thing.

Beautifully illustrated and a much needed message in this picture book that can be used with the very young through older elementary readers just for the fun of it or during SEL lessons on valuing each others’ differences and being kind to all.

Thanks for providing an arc to librarians at the 2025 Texas Library Association annual conference.

[Lisa]

Oliver is aware that his brain seems to work differently that the brains of the other kids in the class. He can't seem to sit still, and he easily distracts himself. One girl, Shay, isn't very nice to Oliver. One day during recess, Oliver climbs a tree, closes his eyes and makes a wish to be more like everyone else. Thank goodness he has a wise friend.

This is one of those picture books teachers need to read, as a reminder for themselves, but also aloud to the class, to help give their students empathy and context for the kids who think outside the box. Not a picture book version of Fish in a Tree, but a delightful picture book about the potential of children whose brains work differently than their peers'. Nancy Carpenter's illustrations are great. I highly recommend Wish in a Tree. Oliver and his classmates are white.

[Roben]

Oliver is different. His brain works overtime and he has difficulty sitting skill in class. He definitely thinks outside the box. Initially he thinks this is a bad thing -- mostly because one of his classmates says mean things to him. But then other kids in class rally to tell him how awesome he is and how it is important for everyone to not be the same. Their encouragement and support help him to say good things about himself and to not be so hard on his imagination and different ways of doing things.

Encouragement for the kids that think differently - I especially like that the author includes the thought that while Shay's words hurt, it is the words that Oliver says to himself that are truly painful. It is important to learn at an early age to not say things to yourself that you would not say to a friend.

[Graeme Williams]

Wish in a Tree is an uplifting and heartfelt picture book that celebrates neurodiversity and the power of self acceptance. Lynda Mullaly Hunt and illustrator Nancy Carpenter craft a vivid and empathetic portrait of Oliver, a curious, imaginative boy navigating school and social pressures.

The story’s strength lies in its positive messaging and relatable characters. Oliver’s journey from feeling “different” to embracing his unique outlook encourages readers to value individuality and creativity. The narrative flows smoothly, and the illustrations are expressive, engaging, and perfectly attuned to the emotions of the text.

This book is an excellent tool for families, educators, and young readers, promoting empathy, inclusion, and a love for learning. A warm, inspiring read that leaves a lasting impression.

[Anna]

I read Fish in a Tree to my girls when they were in elementary school and we all loved it. I was thrilled to see Wish in a Tree on the new books shelf at the library and discover that it is a picture book written by the same author. I appreciate the message of the story and I adore the illustrations. I am concerned about reading this book to students because the children in the story don't use vocabulary that elementary kids normally use. While I appreciate books introducing vocabulary to students, the story becomes unbelievable when the characters' dialogue isn't believable. I will reread it and decide whether I want to use this with a library lesson this year.

[Cara Byrne]

I'm all for a thoughtful picture book about neurodiversity, but I really struggled to find redeeming qualities of this picture book. Why? The tidy resolution at the end. The child characters who are either one-dimensionally mean or speak kinder and with more compassion than most adult educators. I haven't read _Fish in a Tree_, but I wonder if the characters in that novel feel more realistic. I understand the place of aspirational picture books that model self-love and friendship, but this book feels too inauthentic for me to recommend.

[Holly Mueller]

It's hard to be a kid who feels like a fish in a tree or a dragon in a paper house. Oliver's mind is always swirling with questions, fun facts, and ideas, and he doesn't feel like he fits in with the other kids. Fortunately, Albert, a boy with an amazing vocabulary and EQ, admires and understands him. Oliver also intrigues Jada and her sense of curiosity. Oliver finds his colony! This is a great book for neurodiverse kids that celebrates their differences and exceptionalities.

[Jared White]

I read and enjoyed Fish in a Tree, alright, and this one was okay as well; it has a good message, but the language is so stiff and formal for a picture book. Some of it was so stilted that I thought it had been translated from another language (many translators are excellent, but some aren't so great). Anyway, good message, but not great dialogue.

[Jgramley]

I absolutely loved Lynda Mullaly Hunt’s Fish in a Tree so I knew I had to get this book! Boy did it not disappoint!! My favorite part was when they talked about how trees are most beautiful in the fall when they are not all the same. Such truth and yes I might be saying it because I love that time of the year. 🙂

[Bethe]

Kind of a companion picture book to Fish in a Tree, but here a fellow classmate recognizes the greatness & creativity in Oliver, who has a busy brain, doesn’t fit in with all the other kids and most of them let him know it. His wish is to be like the other kids until Albert asks him about where would the world be without inventors and others who think outside the box. Mirror and window book.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin]

In this story, a child brimming with curiosity and bright ideas questions his self-worth and his sense of belonging. Fortunately, he has a couple of kids in his corner who remind him that great minds don’t think alike. Clever illustrations depict what intellectual and emotional intelligence look like.

[Alysa]

Unfortunately this book is unrealistic in its portrayal of the neurodivergent experience in school. We have the 'mean girl' trope and a didactic resolution: this book could make some children feel even more othered because they will never have a peer tell them their brain is 'extraordinary', for example, nor will most ADHD kids' school struggles have a convenient, fairytale resolution.

[Edie Roestel]

As someone with ADHD, this book rocked. I think it did a splendid job of describing how it feels to have ADHD, and how to other people you can be seen as weird. I've been called weird and eccentric a number of times, and it took me finding the right friends to feel like my qualities attributed to ADHD were welcomed and appreciated.

[Holly Wagner]

Oliver buzzes with ideas, but struggles with his way of being. His friend Albert helps him see that having different ways of being is what makes the world more wonderful. Love love love! And the illustrations are my favorite type of illustrations.

[Claudia]

I love this book so much. It perfectly describes the frustrations as well as the superpowers of the ADHD brain, and I love that Oliver frinds friends at the end who *see* him and his brain for the amazing thing that it is. Really great picture book!

[Meredith]

It was better than Fish in a Tree, but what I wrote in that review holds true here: "Albert's voice wasn't believable." And he's several years younger in this one, as far as I can tell. Shay is still a beeyotch. Anyways, decent message, but just ok execution. Good illustrations.

[Debrarian]

A solid and relatable story, with pictures that beautifully bring Oliver's inner world to life.

My only quibbles: Shay was a featureless mean-girl villain, and the character of Albert spoke with a detailed gravitas that didn't seem to suit the age they appeared to be.

[Dr. Julie Wasmund Hoffman]

Oliver's brain is constantly going, and he wishes he could be more like the rest of the kids at his school. Even though there are some mean kids, like Shay, Oliver has some good friends who remind him who he really is.

[Kristin Nelson]

Almost 5 stars, except that friend Albert was muuuch too wise for his age. I kinda wish an adult had been the one to share wisdom with Oliver instead. The illustrations are lovely, as is the message. I think it would be a good readaloud for 1st grade and up.

[Angie]

Oh how the world needs this book! I was nervous because of how much I love "Fish in a Tree" but this far exceeded all my expectations. I cannot wait to share this with my elementary students!

[Diana]

“In an ant colony, everybody matters.”

This is a lovely book about helping a friend to accept that it’s ok to think different as somebody else. To have crazy ideas and to acknowledge them.

[TheNextGenLibrarian]

This was a fantastic picture book inspired by the original novel Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Every educator needs to read this book. Thanks PRH Audio for the ALC.

[Jenny]

A young boy thinks about things differently than his peers. Some of his peers make fun of him, and he wishes he fit in.

[Sueb]

It’s okay to be you! The world needs everyone.

[Lynn Davidson]

It’s really hard to think like everybody else in the class, Oliver realizes. His brain is full of questions and ideas and on everything but what the class is supposed to be doing. He feels like a fish stranded in a tree, so at recess he climbs a tree where he thinks no one can see him. Albert sees him and assures Oliver that it’s perfectly fine to not be exactly like everybody else.
Very nice we illustrated.