To make

"Gather, make, wait" is the chorus of this picture book, which is sure to inspire all sorts of creativity. A wide variety of children busily work on many different kinds of projects. The children have varying skin tones and hair types, one child uses a wheelchair, and some of their homes are in the country, while others appear more urban. The common theme that unites them all is a desire to create. In this paean to patience, the simple text and lively illustrations demonstrate that the creative process requires first preparation, then planning, and finally execution. Fanciful mixed-media pictures include gnomes and fairies assisting and encouraging some of the children. Whether they are making a cake, garden, sweater, painting, dance, or a plan, building a model city, fort, or birdhouse, writing a song, poem, or story, nothing happens easily, but the effort involved is worth it. The final two-page spread brings everyone together in a warm, welcoming environment to share and celebrate each unique person and all of their achievements.

In this expansive look at process, Davis asserts that there are three steps common to creation: "gather, make, wait." A cake requires gathering a tower of ingredients, making them into a swirling mélange, and then waiting while it bakes. A friendship involves assembling materials, crafting a home for a bird, and watchfully awaiting a feathered being's taking up residence. DeRoma's mixed-media illustrations employ velvety pastel and pencil textures to conjure a visual feast, portraying a cast of arrayed abilities and skin tones engaging in varied creative pursuits, assisted by fairies and a friendly gnome. As the figures contemplate making a garden, music, and a story, among other things, pictures frame the concept of creativity and how it rewards the effort (and frustration) invested in it. As the final pages show the characters enjoying a joyful moonlit celebration, readers are urged to "keep making.// Keep waiting.// Because one day you will share something wonderful// that only you know how to make." Ages 4--8. (May)