As a mother hurries her preschooler along through city streets so that they can catch a commuter train, the little boy keeps asking her to wait so he can enjoy the sights along the way. He has to stop to pet a dog, wave at a construction worker, help a man feed the ducks, ask for an ice cream, look through a pet store window, and touch a butterfly. Once it starts to rain, it’s hurry, hurry, hurry to avoid getting wet as they get closer to their train stop, but there is one last thing the boy asks his mother to wait for—to look at a rainbow. They stop to admire it as the train pulls away, and the mother finally agrees, “Yes, wait.” Told with just a few words ( hurry and wait ) the details are mostly in the pencil, charcoal, and ink color illustrations that suggest a strong left to right motion in a book that’s much wider than it is tall. (Ages 2–4)

As a boy and his mother move quickly through the city, they're drawn to different things. The boy sees a dog, a butterfly, and a hungry duck while his mother rushes them toward the departing train. It's push and pull, but in the end, they both find something to stop for.

Acclaimed author/illustrator Antoinette Portis' signature style conveys feelings of warmth, curiosity, humor and tenderness in this simple, evocative story.

A Neal Porter Book