WISH AND WONDER: A MANITOBA VILLAGE CHILD Elsa Redekopp. Illustrated by Veleda Goulden. Winnipeg, Reddell Publishing, c1982. Distributed by Christian Press, 159 Henderson Hwy., Winnipeg, MB R2L1L4. 59pp, paper, $4.95. Grades 4-6. Reviewed by Nadiya Blame. Volume 11 Number 4. 1983 July. Wish and Wonder is a story of the life of a Mennonite family living in Manitoba in the first quarter of this century. Each chapter of the book tells of an episode, a special event, or a holiday celebration, written by the author as memoirs of her own childhood. Elsa Redekopp describes the food the family prepared and enjoyed, their day-to-day lives, and their customs and rituals. This book gives the reader a sense of being there, with vivid descriptions of the surroundings. The characters, however, are no more than sketches, like the illustrations in the book. Redekopp does not get into how the characters felt. They never had a bad day nor a cross word to say. Life, though hard, is depicted as a constant joy, a view I feel may be a little unrealistic. Wish and Wonder would be a good book to have for studying life in the pioneer days, but the style of writing and the sparse amount of dialogue would not appeal to young readers of fiction. The format of the book and the line sketches would seem too juvenile for students beyond grade 6. Nadiya Blame, Bertie E. S., Ridgeway, ON.