While We Wait

by Judy Ann Sadler, Élodie Duhameau

A gentle play on patience while a boy and his grandma knit the perfect gift

A boy and his grandmother are waiting for … something. While they wait, they sit and knit, they stretch, they rock, they dance, they snack, and they talk. But still, time passes slowly.

As the hours go by, they fill the day together. They sit and knit and wait. Until—it’s finally time! The long wait is over when the boy’s parents come home with a special arrival. We see what the boy and his grandma have been creating together: a handmade gift for the newest member of their family, created with love.

With a soft color palette and simple, lyrical text lending a rhythmic beat, While We Wait is a sweet lesson in patience that shows some things are well worth the wait.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Emotion, Knitting, Canada, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

Published March 15, 2022

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read plenty of picture books about new siblings, but most seem to focus on the rivalry aspect or on the changes in the household that come with a new addition. This book is a little different in that its focus is entirely on the older brother as he waits with his grandmother while his parents are, we assume, at the hospital.

The text doesn't exactly rhyme, but it's got its own rhythm. That changes in spots, which I wasn't a fan of. Still, I liked the bouncy refrain of "sit and knit and wait" that runs throughout the story.

The illustrations are cute and cartoonish, showing a mixed-race family. The limited colour palette works well here.

Overall, this is a nice picture book focusing on an often-overlooked aspect of the new-baby process for siblings: the waiting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for providing a digital ARC.

[Shauna Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book about how hard it can be to wait when you are waiting for something exciting to happen. Waiting can be tough but grandma does a great job of keeping him busy and his mind off of the waiting.

This would be a great book for expectant parents to read to older siblings, or to the family when you are waiting the arrival of a new family member.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Owlkids Books through NetGalley.
Charming story that many families will understand. Readers meet a grandmother and grandchild waiting on something. The story opens by sharing everything is ready and now they just need to wait. She teaches him to knit. Younger readers will enjoy the humor as this does not go smoothly at first and both child and dog get involved in tangling yarn all over. From there, readers see how they fill the time while waiting for an unknown event. In the end, mom, dad and baby arrive and the child gets to give his sibling a new knitted hat.
Great to practice predictive reading skills for younger readers. They can look at the text and illustrations to make predictions on what will happen next.
Terrific book for families with a new sibling on the way. The love shines through this story as well as the impatience with waiting. Connections can be made when waiting for events in reader's lives as well.

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story, I was confused about where it was going until it was revealed. The illustrations are really lovely and the writing is good. It is a tad boring at the beginning with all the knitting but I like that the child is excited for their younger sibling, this book could definitely be used to start conversation about a younger sibling and get a younger child excited and ready. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

[Lis Nye · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely delightful book!

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the art! This story is super cute and deals with the social/emotional issue of waiting. He knits with his grandmother and waits. We don't know until the end what they are waiting for, but it's worth the wait.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waiting is not a pleasant thing. It’s something most kids find really hard. This book is just a long weight of a child and their grandparent. Advanced readers and adults will probably figure out what they’re waiting for. But it’ll probably be a big surprise to the kids. This story has an unusual cadence but it flows nicely it doesn’t intentionally set out to rhyme which is good because the cadence still flows even when the accidental rhyme pops in. This book is well done it’s perfect for the topic and the illustrations are lovely. They are unusual in this type of book but I think the way the artist uses simple lines and their color to express the feeling of waiting is absolutely perfect. This book is great not just for the people waiting and his situation but for any leader who hast to sit and wait.

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a helpful book to prepare young kids for the imminent birth of a new sibling. Giving them an idea of what to expect (spending time away from parents/with another caregiver, a long wait, the arrival of the new baby at home) will help them manage the unfamiliar situation more easily and hopefully with less anxiety. The tone of this book is very calm and reassuring and offers affirmation for things kids may likely feel in that situation. Reading this will be a great way to "rehearse" and make a big occasion less stressful.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Joan Almond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes five stars are not enough! And sometimes, I read a book , and immediately say to myself , “I can’t wait , I’ve got to tell my family about this book!”

There is no denying , Owlkids Books picked a winner when they decided to publish , ‘While We Wait!’Judy Ann Sadler is the author, and Elodie Duhameau , is the illustrator.

‘While We Wait,’ is a keeper for grandparents, parents , and the children they read to.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I loved the style of pictures which was so unique and different. I enjoyed the relationship between the grandmother and grandson and how excited he was to get the new baby. A fun read.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book on patience and knitting and the arrival of a new sibling.
A sweet story about family.

Reviewed from a library copy.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing that adults know about children is that they mostly find waiting to be VERY difficult. Those kids and their adults will enjoy reading this book together. A young boy and his grandmother are waiting…for what? How will they keep busy? Find out!

This book has cute, cartoon-like illustrations. There is repetitive language which is something most young children love. All in all, a very cute title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy and his grandmother "sit and knit and wait." For what? While they struggle to wait, the story's rhythmic text reads fast and puts readers out of their waiting miser pretty quickly. It would be fun to keep asking a child what they think they are waiting for. I liked the minimal use of colors to distinguish the important things in the story and could be used to guess what they are waiting for.

[Connie T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young child and their grandmother spend a long afternoon sitting and waiting and knitting. Every once in a while this is interrupted by naps, snacks, and a dance party but they always go back to sitting, waiting, and knitting. The relationship between the two is sweet and gentle, the patience of the grandmother being evident at every turn. Every child will be able to relate to the unending boredom that occurs when one must wait and wait. There's a nice surprise ending.

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Owlkids Books and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this wonderful book. This book for the youngest readers is about patience and filling the time productively while waiting. A little boy and his grandma knit a gift, dance, sing, and play with their dog while they wait for the boy’s parents to arrive. Lovely illustrations greatly enhance the story.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet and charming story about a grandmother and young grandson trying to wait patiently for the arrival home of the little boy's parents and new sibling. It is SO hard to wait for something so exciting for a young child. Adorable illustrations capture the feeling so well as the two wait and knit and wait and knit and WAIT ;-)

[Angela De Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waiting is hard. Especially when you’re ready and excited and expecting something to happen soon. While they wait, as patiently as possible, this boy and grandmother sit and knit (love that!) It’s like time has frozen. They also snack and nap, and finally after a long day of waiting, they’ve arrived. Sweet story about patience and things worth waiting for.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waiting, boredom, rhyming text, rhythmic text, repeated words, diverse, new baby

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great conversation starter on patience, and the perfect multigenerational pick for crafty families welcoming new additions!

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

will try this for storytime

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story to help kids that may struggle with waiting. I lot the use of color in the illustrations.

[skcocnaH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet book. And I like that the family is diverse.

[Sandra Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A feel-good story between generations. The art has the perfect amount of colour to draw you in...almost like a hint of surprise for the ending.

[L. Macke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this would be super predictable (and it was, kind of) but I love how it all comes together in the end.

Very sweet.

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fun book about waiting for the arrival of a sibling.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet story about a big brother waiting for sibling to arrive. Knitting involved!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Gran is with her grandson, and they are waiting and waiting and waiting. The Gran is knitting, but the boy has trouble sitting still and knitting and waiting. Very nice ending and artwork.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.