Waiting
Author: Kevin Henkes
Illustrator: Kevin Henkes Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Year of Publication: 2015 Genre: Fiction Horn Book or Kirkus Reviews rating: Waiting received a Kirkus Starred rating and a Horn Book rating of 1. Summary: The concept of waiting is taught through the eyes and experiences of a child’s toys. Summary of Professional Reviews: Both the Horn Book and Kirkus reviews cite the illustrations as a vital part of the book. Kirkus expands on the concept of waiting and calls waiting “contagious” as portrayed in the story. |
Review by Christine Grasser: Waiting, for a 3 to 5 year old, is very difficult. Henkes successfully portrays the calm and expectant nature of waiting through the eyes of toys, which appeals to young readers. The illustrations are easy to follow, and the emotions are identifiable with both the text and the illustrations. The settings in the story also leave the reader with wonder about how the toys got there. Its a very positive portrayal of a very hard to teach concept.
This book would be useful when teaching…
Waiting could be used for a variety of lessons, which includes
This book would be useful when teaching…
Waiting could be used for a variety of lessons, which includes
- Waiting: for a family visit, for Christmas or a birthday present, or even just the weekend. The characters portrayal of positive behavior can be used for this type of lesson. Discussions during circle time can include sharing about things students have waited for received and not received.
- Counting: There is a brief, subtle representation of counting within this story and can be used to reinforce counting principles.
- Literacy: asking open questions such as, “Where are the toys? Who put them there? Why?” can develop critical thinking skills for literacy.