Sunday, April 3, 2016

Waiting gets 4.5 Stars {Caldecott}

Waiting by Kevin Henkes, an author that has written many amazing books and won the Caldecott Medal and Honor before, won a Caldecott Honor this year.  This beautifully illustrated picture book has short sentences, goes through the seasons, moments of emotions, and perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners. Alohamora Open a Book www.alohamoraopenabook.com kidlit, award winner, picture book, read aloud, social development, emotions, teachers, librarians,

Waiting by Kevin Henkes is the author's latest book and it recently won a Caldecott Honor for having really amazing illustrations.  Henkes is not new to the Caldecott or award platform in general; he has won the Caldecott Medal, Honor twice, and the Newbery Honor twice for great writing.  Those are big time awards and portrays how talented Henkes is with his writing and illustrations.

Waiting is an absolutely beautiful story and I give it 4.5 out of 5 Stars.  The pictures are stunning.  I love the color scheme and how sweet the pictures appear.  The illustrations fit the theme and mood of the book perfectly.  Waiting's  writing is good; it is simple with short sentences.  This is a perfect book for toddlers, preschoolers, and babies.  Librarians will enjoy this read aloud and teachers of the younger grades will enjoy using this story for it's simplicity and lessons on emotions.

Waiting is a great book, but it wasn't a 5 star book.  I really loved the pictures, but I thought the story line wasn't anything to wow about.  It is a simple story, but that's all it is to me.  I don't have a desire to buy the book for my personal library (though I have many other Henkes' books), but I would suggest elementary school libraries and youth librarians to purchase this read for their library.

Amazon had the following book description:

"What are you waiting for? An owl, a puppy, a bear, a rabbit, and a pig—all toys arranged on a child’s windowsill—wait for marvelous things to happen in this irresistible picture book by the New York Times–bestselling and Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes.
Five friends sit happily on a windowsill, waiting for something amazing to happen. The owl is waiting for the moon. The pig is waiting for the rain. The bear is waiting for the wind. The puppy is waiting for the snow. And the rabbit is just looking out the window because he likes to wait! What will happen? Will patience win in the end? Or someday will the friends stop waiting and do something unexpected?
Waiting is a big part of childhood—waiting in line, waiting to grow up, waiting for something special to happen—but in this book, a child sets the stage and pulls the strings. Timeless, beautiful, and deeply heartfelt, this picture book about imaginative play, the seasons, friendship, and surprises marks a new pinnacle in Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes’s extraordinary career."

I really think Henkes (pronounced Hank-us) is a great author and illustrated; he is extremely talented.  I feel the pictures in this story are amazing and some of my favorite illustrations he's ever done.  

Happy Award Honor Winning Fabulous Picture Book Reading!

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