When Mr Elvic first comes to his workshop in Cinder Lane, he makes an unusual discovery - an old, dismantled Wishing Machine. He sets about repairing it and to his astonishment the machine works perfectly. With his first wish he gives his loveable ginger cat the power of speech. However, well-meaning as he is, Benson the cat is also mischievous. It is not long before Mr Elvic and Benson find themselves in all sorts of scrapes as they set about using their secret Wishing Machine to help their friends and neighbours. Will other people find out about the Wishing Machine? How reliable is a talking cat when it comes to keeping secrets? In this enchanting tale, Susan Dodd has drawn on her own childhood memories to create a gentle world of kindly townsfolk and talking cats. Poignant and beautifully written, "Benson and the Wishing Machine" offers an engaging modern parable that will amaze and amuse young readers.