Wait! Wait! by Hatsue Nakawaki illustrated by Komako Sakai translated by Yuki Kaneko

A young child sees a fluttering butterfly. We hear the off-stage voice saying Wait! Wait! On the next page the child lifts their arms and looks up as the butterfly flutters away. Moving along the child spies a small lizard on the path. Wait! Wait! Oh no - he has wiggled away. But this is not a problem because now there are three pigeons ready to distract the child but the warning of Wait! Wait! is ignored and so the pigeons flap their wings and fly away. Perhaps these two cats will want to play? No. Never mind there are plenty of other things to explore now that we see all of these tiny moments have been happening at their local park. It is a simple day but it is a day of joy between a father and child with green grass, sunshine and tiny moments to explore and experience. 

There are only thirty words in this book but, as with the very best children's picture books, so much more is going on. This is a book you just have to talk about as you read it with a very young child. Begin with the cover - did you spy the little bee?

Dressed in white overalls, a striped shirt, and chunky shoes, the toddler (who could easily be a boy or a girl) is the star of every spread. ... A lovely and intimate study of a child’s growing sense of independence, capability, and curiosity.  Publisher's Weekly

Sakai’s soft, delicate acrylic-and–oil-pencil illustrations are breathtaking. The butterfly, lizard, pigeons and cats are brilliantly depicted in vivid, accurate detail, while the child is all expressive softness and yearning as she encounters each new experience. Each double-page spread is a sea of white, with a single large-print sentence and a lightly drawn hint of setting, allowing the characters and action to hold center stage. Parents and their little ones will snuggle together to read this joyous evocation of the newness and wonder of the world over and over again. Tender and wistful and glorious. Kirkus Star review

This simple little book captures so nicely the speed of a toddler’s thoughts and the way that they can keep so busy with new discoveries in their day.  There is a wonderful gentleness to the book, where the animals and then the adult are just as much fun and intriguing as one another.  At the same time, there is a sense of discovery and awe as each new creature is found. Waking Brain Cells

When I saw the art of Komako Sakai in The Bear and the Wildcat I fell in love with her work. This book Wait! Wait! was waiting for me at a recent charity book sale. It was published in 2013 and luckily for me this copy is in mint condition and only cost $2! I love this book SO much. My dilemma is do I keep this book - my own shelves are packed full - or do I gift this to a young child?

Here is the Japanese cover  こりゃまてまて

 And the German edition has an entirely different cover:

Would you like a banana? by Yasmeen Ismail

You may recognise this conversation.

I'm hungry
Would you like a banana?
No. It's too yellow. It's too bendy. It's too wonky. I won't eat a banana.
But you might like a banana. Just try a teeny taste. Would you like one on a plate?
I won't eat a banana.
You might like one with some bread, or maybe standing on your head.
No. I won't eat a banana.

Perhaps you would like it mashed or sliced or made into a cake? NO.

Okay you don't have to eat a banana.

Can you guess what happens next?

This is such a fun book to read to a group but it also contains a grain of truth. A friend, who is a Teacher-Librarian, explained to me recently that the students who visit her library seem to resist borrowing any book she recommends. If she waxes lyrical the children seem to think the book is bad. In relation to food I know of one family that told their youngest child that only very smart, or much older children like a particular vegetable. Success - reverse psychology.

I love the huge illustrations on the bright white background and the inclusion of photos of real bananas. Yasmeen Ismail is a master of facial expression using simple lines and perfectly positioned eye balls.

Image Source Yasmeen Ismail

My friend at Kinderbooks with everything has created a collection of picture books that feature bananas. 

I would pair this book with Green Eggs and Ham; I will not Ever never eat a Tomato; Eat your peas; and Tales for very Picky Eaters.