Review by Booklist Review
From the author of What Can a Mess Make? (2024) comes a story about two siblings who spend the day running errands with their mom. They visit the farmer's market, the post office, a diner, and more. At each stop, they have to wait, but instead of getting bored, they find ways to stay entertained by using their imaginations and noticing what's happening around them. The story includes a repeating line ("while we wait") that ties each scene together: "Row of stalls. / Pickles. Peaches. / Overalls. / Bucket drummer makes a beat. / While we wait, we move our feet." This moment at the summer market, like many others in the book, shows how waiting can become part of the fun. The rhythmic, rhyming text flows smoothly and is enjoyable to read aloud. The soft, expressive illustrations show movement and the wonder of being a child. A gentle reminder that even errands can be full of small joys, this is a great choice for storytime and a strong addition to preschool and early-elementary collections.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Johnson (What Can a Mess Make?) understands that biding one's time can be hard work--not least during a day of endless errands. As a caretaker and two rambunctious siblings head out (a note from Dad reads "Be back soon"), playful short rhymes and stylish visuals, reminiscent of mid-century modern commercial art, sweep readers along. The children, shown with light brown skin, at first make constructive use of their surroundings to ground them. At the farmers market, "Bucket drummer/ makes a beat// While we wait, we move our feet," and at the post office, entertaining a toddler helps the time to pass ("While we wait,/ we make a friend"). Things grow trickier at a vintage shop as well as at a crowded, noisy diner, where the kids "fall apart," littering the counter with overturned creamer containers, straw sleeves, and sugar packs. A rainstorm under a shared awning resets the dynamic ("While we wait,/ we squeeze together"), until bedtime reveals that waiting can be hard on grown-ups, too: after a day of offspring-wrangling, the solo adult falls asleep sitting up, too pooped to turn out the light. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Two kids entertain themselves throughout a day of errands. An image of a short to-do list on the refrigerator opens this tale that follows a pair of siblings as they run around town with their parent. Though the list contains just a few items, like buying flowers and a dress, the kids nevertheless seek creative ways to keep from becoming bored: befriending another child at the post office, playing dress-up (and making a mess) at the thrift store, and counting the spots on a puppy while their parent chats with an acquaintance. Occasionally, impatience--or hungry bellies--leads to less productive ways to pass the time, but there are always puddles to splash in after waiting out a quick rainstorm, a warm and welcoming home to come back to, and books to read while dinner is prepared. Bright but mellow illustrations create a calm, engaging domestic environment, with just enough clutter to feel lived in. Simple rhymes keep the story flowing from place to place until the day is done as the kids model both realistic and more idealized, wholesome ways of occupying their time while out and about. Parent and children are brown-skinned; their community is diverse. A cozy tale of youngsters discovering ways to have fun while also learning the importance of patience.(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
