Paired with colourful, eerie, unsettling images, this story presents a cautionary tale that shows that getting what you wish for is not always a good thing.

Follow the journey of a man in search of treasure hidden in a strange village. The village is full of children, but there are no adults. What is the village’s secret? Will he be able to leave the village? This vividly illustrated tale warns readers to be careful what they wish for.

• Detailed, colourful, textured, and vivid illustrations are full of details waiting to be discovered.
• Deals with more complex subject matter for slightly older children who no longer require a happy ending.
• Reminiscent of Aesop’s Fables, this carries a cautionary message for children to ponder.

Grace Suen is a Chinese illustrator and graphic designer based in Beijing, who graduated from the University of the Arts London with an MA in Visual Arts Illustration. She loves illustrating, collecting toys, and living with her cats, hamsters, and hedgehogs. When she is not in her studio painting, she is at the antique market or making toys. Careful What You Wish For is Grace’s graduation work and first picture book, inspired by a horror story. An earlier and original version of this picture book won the Macmillan Prize 2016 in the United Kingdom.

Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading Levels

Guided Reading Level: M

Grade Level Equivalent: 2

Educational Descriptions

Picture book, tale, Story elements: setting: a village, plot and character development, figurative language, illustrations enhance meaning and tone, mood, tone: dark, scary, Comprehension strategies: identify cause and effect relationships, central theme and lesson, and changes from beginning to end of the story. Themes: greed, good vs evil, childhood innocence, Lesson: Be careful what you wish for.

Interest Age: 7 to 11 years

Reading Age: 7 to 8 years

RRP: £9.99

ISBN: 978-1-76036-067-2

Format: Hardback

World rights available, except for Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, the UK and the US.