Follow the paths with your finger!
To our families near and far, and to animal rescue workers everywhere.
TG & CG
To Olive, Russel, Terry, and Mike SP
The Rescues: Three Wishes
Text copyright © 2025 Tommy & Charlie Greenwald Illustrations copyright © 2025 Shiho Pate
Published in 2025 by Red Comet Press, LLC, Brooklyn, NY
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2024948544
ISBN (HB): 978-1-63655-156-2
ISBN (EBOOK): 978-1-63655-157-9
First Edition Manufactured in China Distributed in North America by ABRAMS, New York.
RedCometPress.com
ChaPTER 1 STRONGER
One morning, Cathy was reading in bed. Moose, Bear, and Tiger waited patiently. Then they waited not so patiently. “It is time for breakfast!” they all begged.
As everybody was eating, there was a knock on the door. Standing there was a friendly woman and a happy dog.
“Wolf is here for a playdate,” the woman said.
“She does not look like a wolf,”
Moose
said.
“I am ready to play!” said Wolf.
“She actually looks like the opposite of a wolf,” Bear said.
Wolf was quick, energetic, and smelled like coconut shampoo. Moose and Bear taught her a fun game called Jumping On Top of Each Other!
Everyone was having a great time! Except Tiger.
“What is wrong?” Bear asked.
“The game is a little rough,” answered Tiger. “I do not want to get hurt.” He looked sadly at the ground.
“I wish I was stronger.”
Just then, Wolf spotted a toy and grabbed it. “Look what I found!” he announced. “That is Bluebird,” said Bear. “It belongs to Tiger.”
Wolf grinned. “Then try and get it from me!”
But while running away, Wolf accidentally dropped Bluebird into a deep hole. “Oh no!” Wolf cried.
Everyone peered down at the hole.
“Way too deep for me,” Moose said. “I cannot even see it,” Bear added. They all looked at Tiger. “I will get it,” he said.
Tiger stuck his paw into the hole, grabbed the toy, and pulled it out, all in two seconds.
“That was incredible!” Wolf said.
“Pretty impressive for an itty-bitty little cat,” said Moose.
“You were plenty strong enough to grab Bluebird,” Bear added.
Tiger held out the toy to Wolf. “Would you like it back?” Tiger asked.
“Only if I can catch you!” exclaimed Wolf.
Tiger ran away. Moose, Bear, and Wolf raced and chased. But no one could catch him.
ChaPTER 2 TALLER
Two mornings later, Cathy was working at her desk. Moose, Bear, and Tiger waited patiently. Then they waited not so patiently. “It is time to get the mail!” they all pleaded.
Moose, Bear, and Tiger ran out to the front yard. It was one of their favorite parts of the day. Mailman Joe was coming!
But when the mail truck turned onto their street, Moose, Bear, and Tiger saw that Mailman Joe was not driving. In his place was a different mailman.
Moose and Tiger were disappointed. But Bear was the most disappointed of them all. Mailman Joe was her favorite person in the world, besides Cathy.
As the new mailman drove up to the house, Bear waved hello. But he ignored her.
Bear tried jumping up and down. “Over here!” she yelled. “Here I am!” But the mailman did not see her. Instead, he waved to Cathy.
“I am Mailman Jack!” he called. Then he put the mail in the mailbox and drove away.
Bear sat under a tree. “If only Mailman Jack would notice me,” she said. She looked sadly at the ground. “I wish I was taller.”
“We all miss Mailman Joe,” said Tiger, comforting Bear. “He always brings us tasty treats.”
That gave Bear an idea. “I will bring Mailman Jack a tasty treat!” she announced.
The next day it was raining, but Bear did not mind. She ran out to the old oak tree in the backyard and dug up her favorite old bone.
Later, when the mail truck turned onto their street, Moose, Bear, and Tiger did not move or make a noise.
Instead, they sat. They watched. And they waited.
Finally, when Mailman Jack approached their house, Bear dropped the bone near the fence. Mailman Jack stopped the truck and noticed Bear for the first time.
“Is this for me?” he said. Bear wagged her tail.
Mailman Jack smiled. “It looks delicious, thank you,” he said. “But I think you should keep it.”
He started to drive away. “Oh well,” Moose told Bear. “You tried.”
But then the mail truck stopped. “Whoops, I almost forgot!” called Mailman Jack. And suddenly, something flew out the window.
Moose, Bear, and Tiger ran over to investigate. On the ground were three yummy-looking treats! Tiger high-fived Bear. “Mailman Jack noticed you, all right!” he cheered.
Moose munched on his treat. “I wonder if he will ever pet us,” he said.
Bear smiled. “One day at a time,” she said.
SMALLER
Three mornings later, Cathy was exercising on the floor. Moose, Bear, and Tiger waited patiently. Then they waited not so patiently.
“It is time to invite Wolf over again!” Tiger announced.
“It is time to give Mailman Jack treats again!” Bear declared.
“Today, I am just going to take it easy,” Cathy said. She settled onto her favorite couch. Moose, Bear, and Tiger settled around Cathy.
Three minutes went by.
“It is Saturday,” Tiger mumbled.
After seventeen minutes went by, Moose decided to create fun for everybody.
Twelve minutes went by.
“Saturdays
are supposed to be fun,” Bear grumbled.
He jumped onto Tiger’s cat tower and flapped his paws. “Look at me, everyone!” Moose cried. “I am a bird!” Bear and Tiger thought Moose was being very funny.
Cathy did not.
“Moose!” she shouted. “Get down from there!”
The tower started to wobble.
“Uh-oh,” said Bear. “This is not good,” said Tiger. Moose flapped his paws faster. The tower wobbled harder. “Now I am an airplane!” he cried.
The tower wobbled one last time and collapsed.
Everything came crashing down.
Including Moose.
Cathy stood up. “I think it is time for all of you to go outside,” she said.
Moose, Bear, and Tiger trudged out to the backyard. “I am way too big to climb that tower,” Moose said. He looked sadly at the ground. “I wish I were smaller.”
But Bear shook her head.
“You are just right,” she said. “You did something just to make us laugh!”
Tiger thought for a second. “Bear, you are also just right,” he said. “You dug up your favorite bone and offered it to Mailman Jack!”
Moose thought for a second.
“And, Tiger, you are just right too,” he said. “You retrieved Bluebird from a hole and offered it to Wolf!”
Just then, Cathy came outside to check on them. “What are you rascals up to now?” she asked.
Bear smiled. “We were just talking about how perfectly wonderful it is to be exactly who we are!”
“I am a cat,” said Tiger.
“I am a dog,” said Moose. “And I am a bear,” said Bear. That made them all laugh for a very long time.
A
“This charming addition to the field ideal for young readers.”
School Library Journal, Starred Review
TOMMY GREENWALD is the author of many popular books for children, including picture books, novels for middle grade readers, and The Rescues, his first series for emerging readers.
CHARLIE GREENWALD is a copywriter by profession and coauthor with his dad on this children’s book series. The Greenwald family has had four rescue dogs—Moose, Coco, Abby, and Momo—who inspired this series. (They have not had a dog named Bear, but give it time.)
SHIHO PATE is a California-based illustrator with experience in the gaming field. She is passionate about children’s book illustration and has published several books, including Ramen for Everyone and the Chi-Chi and Pey-Pey series. Shiho lives with her husband, daughter, and new dog addition Olive, whom she adopted because they met at a book signing/dog adoption event for the first Rescues book.
