Finley the Frog and the Magical Wishing Flower: A Michigan Nature Story
This entertaining early chapter book offers important SEL lessons on friendship, community, self-esteem, self-confidence, problem-solving, empathy, and compassion in a way that will engage and delight young readers. The author has an astute understanding of children’s emotions, as evidenced by the characters’ depictions in the book. She puts her love of nature to good use by utilizing animals for her characters – a proven, fun, and effective way to draw children into a story and communicate messages. In addition, the author shares her knowledge of nature in her kid-friendly endnotes, which are packed with information about the Northern leopard frog, the species of the main character, Finley.
Finley is smart, loves to read, and, because of his love of music, is in the Junior Choir. However, Finley lacks self-esteem because he is the smallest frog at school. He does not possess the strength and athletic abilities of his siblings and cousins. And all the other frogs tease him because of his size, except his friend Emma, who accepts him just the way he is.
However, one day Finley discovers a wishing flower, which will grant him 3 wishes. His first wish was to be strong enough to hop higher and swim faster than any other frog. But testing out his new athletic prowess puts Finley in danger, and he must use a second wish to escape a frog-eating water snake and a big crow. Now he has only one wish left – and he wants to use it for “something great.”
Finley has learned to be careful about what he wishes for and to accept that, for now, he is too small to compete with the older frogs. He knows he must keep practicing his jumping and swimming to get better. And he concentrates on what he is good at – singing in the choir. But then Finley’s town experiences a natural disaster, and he is faced with a dilemma. Can Finley bravely rise to the occasion and figure out how to save his community? Check out Finley the Frog and the Magical Wishing Flower to find out if Finley can save the day.
The subject matter, tone, text, and vocabulary are spot on for the target audience age range – 4-9. It can be read alone by new readers. Or it would make a great read-aloud for younger children. Because of its length, it would be best to read over several storytimes. However, since the book is written in chapters, this is easy to do.
The adorable, kid-friendly artwork enhances the book’s overall appeal. The simplicity of the pictures is perfect for the story and audience. The artist does an excellent job of capturing each character’s emotions. The artwork is generously placed throughout the book, breaking up the text so early readers are not intimidated.
In addition, the author has included photos and copious endnotes about the type of frog Finley is – the Northern leopard frog, which is found in the author’s home state of Michigan. The reader learns where they live, what they eat, and how they protect themselves from their enemies. But their numbers are dwindling for several reasons, including pollution, acid rain, and climate change. Efforts to protect them are mentioned.
This charming book teaches children valuable lessons about friendship, community, self-esteem, self-confidence, problem-solving, empathy, and compassion. Using animals as characters creates a sense of separation, giving children space to absorb life lessons without feeling targeted. The endearing, relatable characters, entertaining story, and fun illustrations are sure to make this a book children will delight in. Perfect for educators and parents to use as a springboard for discussing a range of SEL topics, as well as environmental issues mentioned in the endnotes. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Eve Panzer for Reader’s Views Picture Book Publicity Package
February 2026
