"Waiting" by Kevin Henkes is a must own. Simple yet extremely powerful.
Five toys are all waiting. One waits for the moon, one waits for the rain, one waits for the snow. And so on. Life happens in between the waiting. Friends come and go, surprises appear, the weather changes, they see beautiful things, but they are always waiting to see what will happen next.
We can all relate to this waiting cycle regardless of our age. It perfectly describes the seasons of life and encourages patience. Although we strive to be present, we are hopeful about the future. Those moments that we are waiting for that will fill us with happiness come and they go. Some of us have to wait longer than others, like the owl who gets to see the moon every night while the dog must wait for winter to see the snow.
The illustrations are calming. These toys are not anxiously waiting; they are simply there, among each other, calmly looking forward to the future. I also love how each of them have different things that they are waiting for, yet the waiting itself is what unites all of them.
Our differences really aren't that different after all. A great message for all ages in this book that is sure to prompt some questions from your young ones.
What are you waiting for?
