At every gift-oriented occasion Cynthia wishes for a pony, and each time she is disappointed. Sure enough, this year, yet again, there’s no pony among her birthday presents. Instead, she receives a goldfish. Fed up, Cynthia’s about to pour the fish down the drain when he begs her to stop. The goldfish announces that he is magical, and that he will give Cynthia whatever she wishes for if she will set him free. As Cynthia carts the goldfish to the lake, she unexpectedly discovers the dangers the world presents to a fish in a glass bowl: a hungry cat, the hot sun, and kids tossing a ball around. By the time they reach the shore, Cynthia has come to care for her new pet, despite his non-pony status, and the two head home together. Stylized illustrations rendered in gouache paint show a 70’s-era Cynthia, complete with poncho. (Ages 3–6)