I Can't Wait!

Starred review from August 10, 2015
William is patiently waiting for his father to come home from work. Annie is anxiously waiting to see if there’s irreparable rift in her friendship with Eddie. And Thomas is excitedly waiting for his parents to return from the hospital with a new sibling. Schwartz (100 Things That Make Me Happy) breaks her story down into three mini-chapters, each with short, varied, and well-observed narrative arcs; readers know right away who Thomas is waiting for (he spends his chapter coming up with potential names for his presumed new sister), while the reason behind Annie’s psychological state is revealed gradually, and William’s waiting is treated as a surprise ending (although readers will probably guess who he’s waiting for). Everyone gets a happy ending, and all of the children gather for a meet-up in the park, where they “played together until it was time to go home.” With her simple, direct text and doll-like illustrations, Schwartz is so effective at mirroring the children’s feelings of anticipation, expectation, and dread that the familiar lesson of “waiting has its rewards” feels fresh and reassuring. Ages 5–8. Agent: Jane Feder.

August 15, 2015
Periodically, a publishing season yields titles on a common theme. This year, coincidentally, three artists explore dimensions of waiting. Schwartz depicts three impatient preschoolers who are helpfully distracted by other characters. Headings create five segments within the longish text. William enjoys riddles; he drops clues to neighbors, whose silly guesses pass the time until Papa arrives. Anxious Annie rattles off reasons (to Puppy) why Eddie probably doesn't like her anymore. Then he appears, wondering where she'd been. Thomas helps Grandma choose names for a new sister-until a brother is presented. Cheerful gouache and ink vignettes in a plethora of colorful patterns against a white background carry the flavor of a bygone era: wash hangs outside, batter is licked while baking, a child waits on a porch stoop. After group play, William "can't wait" until tomorrow. By contrast, Kevin Henkes' Waiting (2015) celebrates the joy in the moments themselves-the serendipity and sense of community with others who are present. In Antoinette Portis' Wait (2015), a child repeatedly urges his mother to stop (and look)-with manifold rewards. Both titles feature spare text and rich visual narratives motivating readers to draw their own conclusions-and return. Although listeners will relate to the difficulty of waiting as presented in Schwartz's straightforward plot, there is not more to glean. Henkes and Portis offer deeper pleasures in more succinct packages. (Picture book. 4-5)

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September 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-Three sweet-faced children wait. William sits on his front step, giving pause to his passing neighbors. With each conversation, he reveals another clue as to what he's waiting for. Annie plays in her backyard with her dog wondering why Eddie hasn't come. Could it be she did something wrong? Thomas passes his time by thinking of names for the new baby; he doesn't even consider that it might be a boy. I Can't Wait is split into chapters: the introduction on the first page, the individual stories of the children, and their final reunion to share their expected things. As it turns out, each of them was awaiting a special person-a father, a friend, a baby. Images include spot art and spreads. The simple dialogue and the gouache and ink illustrations have a childlike appeal. Schwartz does a service by acknowledging the complexity of emotions. No matter what, waiting is hard, yet different circumstances can produce different flavors of the same emotion; eager anticipation, fretting impatience, and happy contemplation are the three portrayed here. VERDICT A simple and lovely book that addresses a topic relevant to many children.-Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ontario, Canada

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