What do you think?
Wait! Wait!
Wait! Wait! is an ideal book for young children that gently follows their rhythms and preoccupations. With a text of few words, frequent repetitions, and delicate illustrations with which children will quickly identify, the book follows a young child's discovery of other creatures. This discovery comes with the recognition that while other creatures can suddenly appear they can also go away and disappear just as quickly. But the delightful appearance of a dad and his playful swoop of his toddler up onto his shoulders will remind little ones that the people who love them will always be there and will never, ever not come back.
Hatsue Nakawaki is a prolific author of children's books.
Komako Sakai was born in Hyogo, Japan, in 1966. After graduating from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Sakai worked at a kimono textile design company. She is currently one of the most popular authors and illustrators in Japan. Her books Emily's Balloon and The Snow Day have been published in the United States and were received with starred reviews and much acclaim.
Hatsue Nakawaki is a prolific author of children's books.
Komako Sakai was born in Hyogo, Japan, in 1966. After graduating from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Sakai worked at a kimono textile design company. She is currently one of the most popular authors and illustrators in Japan. Her books Emily's Balloon and The Snow Day have been published in the United States and were received with starred reviews and much acclaim.
24 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
May 15, 2019
From a toddler's perspective, creatures won't stay still long enough to be thoroughly explored! If only they would wait, wait, until they could get a proper look at them. A short a perfect picture of that moment in life when everything is so interesting, and there just isn't enough time to absorb it as well as you'd like.
May 5, 2013
Translated from the Japanese, this little book is perfect for busy toddlers. It follows some time in a toddler’s day when they move from one distraction to the next. First, there is the butterfly fluttering past that won’t wait. Then the lizard on the sidewalk slithers off without waiting. Then come pigeons and next cats. Finally, the little child is scooped up by a grown up and carried off on their shoulders with obvious delight.
This simple little book captures so nicely the speed of a toddler’s thoughts and the way that they can keep so busy with new discoveries in their day. There is a wonderful gentleness to the book, where the animals and then the adult are just as much fun and intriguing as one another. At the same time, there is a sense of discovery and awe as each new creature is found.
The text is very simple with the title repeated throughout and then one additional sentence added for each creature. The illustrations shine. They are wonderfully organic with textures while the colors remain subtle and natural.
This book begs to be shared with one little child at a time, so that the animals can be identified and new discoveries of their own can be shared. Appropriate for ages 1-3.
This simple little book captures so nicely the speed of a toddler’s thoughts and the way that they can keep so busy with new discoveries in their day. There is a wonderful gentleness to the book, where the animals and then the adult are just as much fun and intriguing as one another. At the same time, there is a sense of discovery and awe as each new creature is found.
The text is very simple with the title repeated throughout and then one additional sentence added for each creature. The illustrations shine. They are wonderfully organic with textures while the colors remain subtle and natural.
This book begs to be shared with one little child at a time, so that the animals can be identified and new discoveries of their own can be shared. Appropriate for ages 1-3.
May 7, 2013
Not technically a board book, but great for babies and would work well in that format.
June 30, 2026
Kids aren’t very patient. So a book titled Wait! Wait! might be just what the doctor ordered. Of course, it’s not actually about that. But it’s good practice with the word.
Moral: Your family will always wait for you.
Length: You won’t try your own patience with this exceptionally short read.
Favorite Line: “Wait! Wait!”
Overall Impression: This child races after all these creatures of the world, calling out “wait!” But none of them wait, for sure making a good choice as toddlers have really, really dirty hands. So the book’s not about patience, it’s about how things you want to stay around forever don’t. But in the end, the dad is still there for the little one and actually does come back. So this book is great for kids to read if they have parents who come back. If they don’t, this book’s lesson is sure to bring tears and sadness. Proceed with caution if you were married to a dead beat who no longer parents.
Moral: Your family will always wait for you.
Length: You won’t try your own patience with this exceptionally short read.
Favorite Line: “Wait! Wait!”
Overall Impression: This child races after all these creatures of the world, calling out “wait!” But none of them wait, for sure making a good choice as toddlers have really, really dirty hands. So the book’s not about patience, it’s about how things you want to stay around forever don’t. But in the end, the dad is still there for the little one and actually does come back. So this book is great for kids to read if they have parents who come back. If they don’t, this book’s lesson is sure to bring tears and sadness. Proceed with caution if you were married to a dead beat who no longer parents.
January 23, 2017
The sensitive oil pencil drawings are so charming. I see so much of my curious 16-month-old niece in this book that I am smitten! Her hair started curling at the nape like sweet duck tails, just as my brother's did when he was a tot. The simple lines and neutral colors shift the focus to the texture of birds' wings and soft cat fur.
Recommended for very young children, I've seen from ages 1-3 years.
Recommended for very young children, I've seen from ages 1-3 years.
Read
September 15, 2020I loved this book. It's a beautifully written love letter to the little girl's community and her father. The illustrations also evoke such a warm and loving feeling through the use of pink sunset colors, the welcoming, smiling faces of the community members (including the dogs!). It's a real feel-good read. **also available in Spanish**
December 19, 2017
The adventures of a toddler befpre they get their bearings. Then, we are telling them to wait.
February 19, 2018
A young child explores the world around him and discovers other creatures. He learns lessons that sometimes animals don't want to play. The simple and repetitive text works for young readers.
February 22, 2019
This was an absolutely amazing book! There were beautiful illustrations and it would be great for lapsit program. This was a very sweet book!
August 26, 2020
Simple, minimal and beautiful art- My toddler loves reading this book over and over.
August 15, 2021
Open Library
December 25, 2022
Un libro piccolo,ma che ha catturato l'attenzione della mia figlia tanto. Belli, leggero, un ottimo inizio per le prime letture
January 3, 2024
A toddler is bumbling along trying to get close to creatures who are always out of his reach until his dad comes along. Such an endearing little book.
July 3, 2014
The pictures in this very short book have a timeless feel. The background of each page is stark white, and the only details are the young child and the animals who have captured her interest. The child's facial expressions and movements are very true to life, as is the way her body moves when her father ultimately picks her up. The baby's face of joy on the final spread is a true delight, and that image alone made me fall in love with the book.
This would be the perfect picture book to share at baby story time. The illustrations and text are both simple enough that babies can follow what is happening, and the comforting ending will bring a smile to the faces of little ones and parents alike. It's also a really nice lap book for a squirmy baby with a short attention span. The word count of the entire text is 30, which means the entire book can be read very easily in less than a minute, if necessary. The repetition of the word "wait" also reinforces the difficult-to-learn concept of patience.
The cover of this book is sweet, but bland, so it's possible it will become buried on library shelves and forgotten unless someone gives it a little boost. Displaying it with other baby-friendly picture books should help it find the audience it deserves. Though it is visually quite different from Patricelli's Higher Higher and Faster Faster, the stories share a similar tenderness, and they match each other in length and simplicity.
This would be the perfect picture book to share at baby story time. The illustrations and text are both simple enough that babies can follow what is happening, and the comforting ending will bring a smile to the faces of little ones and parents alike. It's also a really nice lap book for a squirmy baby with a short attention span. The word count of the entire text is 30, which means the entire book can be read very easily in less than a minute, if necessary. The repetition of the word "wait" also reinforces the difficult-to-learn concept of patience.
The cover of this book is sweet, but bland, so it's possible it will become buried on library shelves and forgotten unless someone gives it a little boost. Displaying it with other baby-friendly picture books should help it find the audience it deserves. Though it is visually quite different from Patricelli's Higher Higher and Faster Faster, the stories share a similar tenderness, and they match each other in length and simplicity.
January 3, 2014
5 Stars
Gentle, minimalistic text and delicate acrylic and oil pencil illustrations beautifully capture a child's sense of wonder and growing independence in this quiet picture book originally published in Japan. Simple lines and smudges are used to convey both emotion and movement. The child's facial expressions and movements are perfectly rendered in realistic, subtle detail.Curious children will almost feel the cat slipping from their grasps and will fully relate to the child's startled awe when the pigeons take flight and flap away.
The book's palette is mostly neutrals, with small splashes of color to emphasize flushed cheeks and background details. But the focus throughout is on the toddler, who is at the center of a series of two-page spreads. Dressed in a black and white ensemble of overalls, shirt, and chunky shoes, the child could be either a boy or a girl, adding to the universality of her actions. This is a tender and lovely work which perfectly illustrates a child's curiosity and early interaction with the natural world.
Gentle, minimalistic text and delicate acrylic and oil pencil illustrations beautifully capture a child's sense of wonder and growing independence in this quiet picture book originally published in Japan. Simple lines and smudges are used to convey both emotion and movement. The child's facial expressions and movements are perfectly rendered in realistic, subtle detail.Curious children will almost feel the cat slipping from their grasps and will fully relate to the child's startled awe when the pigeons take flight and flap away.
The book's palette is mostly neutrals, with small splashes of color to emphasize flushed cheeks and background details. But the focus throughout is on the toddler, who is at the center of a series of two-page spreads. Dressed in a black and white ensemble of overalls, shirt, and chunky shoes, the child could be either a boy or a girl, adding to the universality of her actions. This is a tender and lovely work which perfectly illustrates a child's curiosity and early interaction with the natural world.
June 27, 2014
Pretty acrylic and oil pencil illustrations focus the white expanse of the page. And they certainly sympathize with the young child audience. The accuracy of the toddling child’s postures anticipates a curious child hoping to take hold of the creatures about it. The sleek quick motion of nature escapes the still plodding inelegance of the young subject. Eventually the father picks up the child exclaiming: “Here we go!”: lending his height, stability, and mobility to the young one still discovering their own arms and legs.
Wait! Wait! is indeed a picture book about a fostered independence and engagement with the world, but it also fosters a reassurance (and reliance) in the strong and capable presence of the adult caregiver who is likely thinking to the child—Wait! Wait! don’t grow up too quickly! It is a picture book of stages, simultaneously anticipatory and nostalgic; for the child and adult reader alike.
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...
Wait! Wait! is indeed a picture book about a fostered independence and engagement with the world, but it also fosters a reassurance (and reliance) in the strong and capable presence of the adult caregiver who is likely thinking to the child—Wait! Wait! don’t grow up too quickly! It is a picture book of stages, simultaneously anticipatory and nostalgic; for the child and adult reader alike.
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...
February 2, 2017
The original Japanese version has delightful onomatopoeic expressions for the flutter of butterfly wings (hira-hira-hira), or the slithering wiggle of a lizard (shuru-shuru-shuru) that don't translate perfectly into English. The repetitive sounds would be entertaining for an infant to toddler.
The sensitive and beautiful illustrations are wonderful for adults and children.
The sensitive and beautiful illustrations are wonderful for adults and children.
December 13, 2013
I love the art and concept of this book in which a toddler is fascinated by living creatures that escape his/her touch, then (according to the jacket flap) "Not like Mom and Dad, who always return. A comforting story of discovery, trust and independence." I'm just not sure how a toddler would respond or understand all that the book hopes to do.
WAIT! WAIT! seems best suited to be a board book.
WAIT! WAIT! seems best suited to be a board book.
October 12, 2013
A toddler explores his environment and is fascinated with the different animals who come near. When he attempts to get nearer to them they fly, wiggle or run away, but by that time Daddy's there to scoop him up in time for a shared adventure.
Acrylic and oil pencil illustrations. PreK-2.
Acrylic and oil pencil illustrations. PreK-2.
January 7, 2014
Age: Infant
This little tyke explores wildlife at the park including a butterfly, a lizard, a pigeon, and a cat. But no one wants to stay with the baby, until daddy comes along. Very simple story with delightful, emotion-filled artwork (with a lot of white space).
This little tyke explores wildlife at the park including a butterfly, a lizard, a pigeon, and a cat. But no one wants to stay with the baby, until daddy comes along. Very simple story with delightful, emotion-filled artwork (with a lot of white space).
January 21, 2014
A lovely book for toddlers with very few words, depicting a small child who could be either male or female. Lovely acrylic and oil pencil paintings show the small child chasing after various animals, until Dad picks him/her up for a ride on his shoulders.
December 4, 2016
Très joli. J'aime beaucoup les illustrations, tout en douceur, qui rendent bien compte des mouvements d'un jeune enfant. Je regrette juste que ce livre ne soit pas cartonné, pour pouvoir être manipulé facilement par les tout-petits.
July 14, 2013
In this book a toddler want to interact with the creatures in his world and they all move out of the grasp of her curious hands. A beautiful, but muted book.
July 24, 2013
Loved this!
Come back lizard! Come back pigeons! Come back kitties! I just wanted to love you!
Come back lizard! Come back pigeons! Come back kitties! I just wanted to love you!
August 22, 2013
Lovely illustrations and simple text to share with toddlers.
September 21, 2013
Beautiful, simple, and simply beautiful.
September 25, 2013
Very sweet, very short story :)
October 7, 2013
I love the illustrations and what they portray. This would be a very good book for baby times especially if it were available in board book form.
October 22, 2013
pair with puppets
October 31, 2013
Stellar illustrations. This is one of those books that I want to buy two copies of...one for the book shelf, one to frame each page for my wall.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews