Picture Books about Waiting

September 5 – National Be Late for Something Day

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About the Holiday

Established by the Procrastinator’s Club, this holiday encourages people to slow down and even allow themselves to be a little late to that meeting, class, lunch date, or whatever event is on your calendar. Got nothing scheduled for today? Then just take the opportunity to relax. Of course some causes of being late are due to unforeseen circumstances. Still, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy the delay—as the family in today’s book shows!

I received a copy of Sunny’s Tow Truck Saves the Day! from Abrams Appleseed to check out. All opinions are my own. 

Sunny’s Tow Truck Saves the Day!

Written by Anne Marie Pace | Illustrated by Christopher Lee

 

It’s nine o’clock in the morning and a family’s packed up a picnic lunch, clambered into their minivan, and headed out on the open road. “But halfway there…THUMP-BUMPTY…SPLAT! / What’s going on? Our tire’s flat!” No worries, they think—there’s always the spare. But when they look, they discover that tire’s flat too. They check a list of roadside helpers and pick Sunny’s Towing. They make the call and begin to wait.

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Image copyright Christopher Lee, 2019, text copyright Anne Marie Pace, 2019. Courtesy of Abrams Appleseed.

At nine thirty the little boy hears a truck approaching. Is it Sunny? No—it’s a hauler carrying lumber. At ten o’clock the little girl spots another vehicle while her brother munches his sandwich. “Is that her truck? / Just a pickup. Out of luck.” By ten thirty the road is getting busy with construction workers making repairs and other cars traveling here and there. Over the hills black smoke from a fire billows into the sky while Dad enjoys a bite of his lunch.

Mom calls Sunny, who says that she’s so busy it might be noon before she gets to them. In a moment firetrucks and police cars with their sirens blaring speed by. As time passes, they see more trucks—“Tractor trailers, rough and rumbly. / Concrete mixers, tough and tumbly. / Dump trucks filled with piles of muck. But no tow truck. We are stuck.” It’s a good time to have a snack the girl thinks.

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Image copyright Christopher Lee, 2019, text copyright Anne Marie Pace, 2019. Courtesy of Abrams Appleseed.

It’s getting close to noon and the family counts down the minutes. Suddenly, they see Sunny approaching. She tows them to her garage, where the tire is changed lickity-split. Finally, the family is ready to enjoy their picnic, but when they look in the cooler all the food has disappeared! Sunny has an idea. She shows the family where the best ice cream is sold, and, with cones in hand, they enjoy a perfect picnic in the park.

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Image copyright Christopher Lee, 2019, text copyright Anne Marie Pace, 2019. Courtesy of Abrams Appleseed.

With perky rhymes, Anne Marie Pace takes readers on a picnic that doesn’t quite come off as planned. As the family waits by the side of the road for the tow truck to arrive, the little girl and boy enthusiastically point out other vehicles passing by and take in the excitement of the construction work going on beside them. Pace’s verses shine with cleverly paired words, realistic dialog, names of various kinds of cars and trucks, and dynamic verbs that will captivate kids. Readers will love the humor sprinkled throughout that leads to the “Oh, no!” moment when the family discovers they’ve already eaten their picnic. Sunny—with an appropriately sunny personality—saves the day with her delightful dessert idea.

Christopher Lee lends a charming retro feel to his vivid illustrations with funky home decor, old-fashioned ads, and stylized cars and trucks. The family’s emotions are clearly evident—from their smiles as they pack their picnic to the shock of having a flat tire and finding the spare flat as well to their cheerful patience. Images of the various trucks, emergency vehicles, and other cars will thrill vehicle enthusiasts, and the two-page spread of Sunny’s garage, loaded with action and tools, will spark discussion. Humor and details abound on each page, prompting kids to linger, laugh, and learn.

A sweet story that incorporates a love for vehicles, a family outing, and a fresh lesson on patience, Sunny’s Tow Truck Saves the Day! will be a favorite story time read and a fun addition to home, classroom, and public library collections.

Ages 3 – 6

Abrams Appleseed, 2019 | ISBN 978-1419731914

Discover more about Anne Marie Pace and her books on her website.

To learn more about Christopher Lee, his books, and his art, visit his website.

Nationa Be Late for Something Activity

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Tow Truck to the Rescue! Matching Puzzle

 

These four cars are going to be late! Can you show the tow truck drivers the way to the right cars in this printable puzzle?

Tow Truck to the Rescue! Matching Puzzle

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You can find Sunny’s Tow Truck Saves the Day! at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

 

October 11 – It’s Positive Attitude Month

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About the Holiday

Things are good! Really, they are! Sometimes it’s kind of hard to think this way, but Positive Attitude Month encourages people to see the bright side of things. A positive attitude can give you more strength and resources to face the hard stuff while letting you enjoy the good stuff. Because there is good stuff out there just waiting for you—really!

Waiting for Goliath

By Antje Damm

 

Bear is patiently waiting at the bus top. He’s been there since the sun came up. It’s no bother because he’s expecting his best friend, Goliath. While Robin builds her nest, Bear tells her about Goliath. He’s stronger than Bear and smart too. “‘He can count to eighteen!’” Bear exclaims proudly. Nighttime comes, but Goliath doesn’t. Bear curls up on the bus stop bench and goes to sleep.

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Copyright Antje Damm, 2017, courtesy of Gecko Press.

Another morning dawns and as Bear inspects a spider web and Robin’s babies peep, peep for food, Robin suggests some bad news: “‘Your Goliath isn’t coming.’” Bear is positive his friend will arrive, though. “‘He is definitely coming. You’ll see,’” Bear counters. Later, while Bear has left his post for a minute, the robins announce that someone has come. Bear has a foolproof sniff test to determine if it is Goliath. When the answer comes back that this creature does not smell nice, Bear growls, “‘Then it’s not Goliath.’”

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Copyright Antje Damm, 2017, courtesy of Gecko Press.

Finally, a bus arrives but no one gets off. Bear is starting to get lonely because the robins have all flown south for the winter. To keep himself occupied, Goliath sometimes dances or plays with the snowflakes that begin drifting down. Sometimes he even forgets what he’s there for. As winter settles in, Bear grows more and more tired. He lies down under the bench and goes to sleep. He awakes to warm air and sunshine.

Suddenly, “he hears a faint noise like a hand sliding slowly across paper. Goliath is coming!” A little snail slithers up full of apologies for being so late, but Bear is just happy to see him. He has big plans for the two of them. After so much time spent on the ground, they take to the swing at the park and soar.

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Copyright Antje Damm, 2017, courtesy of Gecko Press.

As an avid reader of Samuel Beckett’s work, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the title of Antje Damm’s new book. As in the play Waiting for Godot, readers of Waiting for Goliath wonder “who is the mysterious visitor?” Unlike Vladimir and Estragon, though, Bear does finally meet up with his friend—much to the delight and surprise of little readers.

Some expectations may be set when Bear describes his best friend as stronger than he is, very smart, and nice-smelling; there’s also the matter of his name. Put these all together and most kids may imagine a big, friendly giant of a buddy. On the other hand, time seems a bit wonky. It’s been a year since Bear first took a seat at the bus stop. What could be taking this enormous creature so long to get there? So maybe readers will adjust their guess. Just like Bear, kids are also waiting to discover who is coming.

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During that year, readers are treated to Damm’s very original collage-diorama photographs. With unending patience Bear, whose head, body, and legs seem articulated from separated bits of paper, sits on a red cardboard bench. The paper bus stop sign and trash can are attached to a thin wooden skewer. Cardboard grass springs from the ground, and the tree takes center stage through a year of seasons demonstrated by the robin’s building a nest, raising a family, flying away for the winter, and returning once more. Along the way, colors change, new creatures enter and leave, and Bear changes position. Goliath’s appearance comes as a cheerful surprise, and as the two go off to play together, readers will feel that the wait was definitely worth it.

Waiting for Goliath would be an adorable addition to children’s home libraries for happy story times and times when waiting gets…..long.

Ages 3 – 5

Gecko Press, 2017 | ISBN 978-1776571413

Positive Attitude Month Activity

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Smile! It’s a Positively Fun Word Search Puzzle

 

Positivity makes you smile! And this puzzle is full of positivity! Can you find the twenty upbeat words in this printable Smile! It’s a Positively Fun Word Search Puzzle? Here’s the Solution.

Picture Book Review