Waiting is not easy!

Willems, Mo. (2014). Waiting is not easy! New York, NY: Hyperion Books.

Part of the popular Elephant and Piggie series, Waiting Is Not Easy! explores the theme familiar to every little reader, that waiting is hard. These books are about two friends, an elephant named Gerald (the worrier), and Piggie (the exuberant). Written in a comic book style with word bubbles and changeable font and character style, this book begins with Piggie bouncing up to announce that she has a surprise for Gerald. But he has to wait for it. He makes her give hints, he begs, he groans, his groans grow so that his word bubbles take up the entire page. In the end, Willems collages a photo of the Milky Way onto the page, and Gerald says it was worth the wait. Then he promises to show Piggie the sunrise. These books are hilarious enough to read to 3 and 4 year old, but beginner readers have so much fun with comic book style and stories of friendship and confusion. It’s hard to choose which is funniest.