Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #977092 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-21
• Released on: 2006-03-21
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4–Its no surprise that the exquisitely rendered child attired in 18th-century clothing on the title page, her mouth open, eyes alight, is an inquisitive little girl. Iris is anxiously awaiting a cousins birth, but when she asks when it will happen, she receives some outlandish answers. Grandpa says the baby will come When the giant stork flies across the sky and drops him over your aunts house. Grandma says he will grow under a cabbage. Mr. Conner says he will come after the nine months it takes to build a ladder to the clouds and get him. Only Momma gives the little girl a bead on the truth. But it still takes a long time, and when Gregory does arrive, Iris must continue to wait to build a snowman with him. Swiatkowskas familiar swirls of paint are evident in the pictures inspired by French artists and circus themes. The myths Iris hears about Gregorys birth appear throughout in surreal paintings and drawings–a stork moves along on a pulley to make its delivery; clocks mark the passage of time; animals, charts, and weird-looking inventions abound. There is more to discover with each viewing. Waiting for an infant to be born is not a new theme in picture books, but the mixed-media illustrations here make this rendition unique.–Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
PreS-Gr. 2. Far from the usual angry, jealous scenarios of sibling rivalry and displacement, this dreamy picture book shows a child's romance and wonder about her unborn cousin. Iris can't wait for Gregory to be born, and she asks everyone when he will arrive. The answers she gets range from vague ("not too soon . . . not too long,") to mythic ("When the giant stork flies across the sky") to totally silly (her friend says Iris' aunt must eat "a thousand chocolate-chip ice-cream sundaes with sour pickles on top" to get a big belly). The surreal mixed-media pictures, which blend many styles, show Iris imagining a variety of scenes: a medieval-type mechanical contraption, an angel in the snow, a baby growing under the soil like a cabbage. Then comes the climax as Iris holds a gorgeous, smiling baby. The mix of the everyday and the magical from the child's viewpoint captures the longing, mystery, and joy. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Customer Reviews

A Whimsical Story to Share with Older Children Awaiting the Birth of a Child
Waiting for Gregory is a good story to share with children age 4-7 who are awaiting the arrival of a new baby. Told from a first person point of view, the narrator, Iris, askes various family members and friends how and when her new baby cousin is going to arrive. Answers range from a giant stork dropping baby Gregory over her aunt's house, to the baby growing under a cabbage. Iris does eventually get a straight answer from her mother who tells her that all of the answers are a little bit right (baby Gregory will come in nine months, when her aunt's belly is as big as a jack-o-lantern), but the exact day and time is something that nobody knows.

Waiting for Gregory also addresses the fact that although siblings and cousins may want to teach the baby a lot of things and play with him/her, it will take some time for the baby to grow. The story provides the assurance that eventually the child will grow up and be able to fish, build a snowman, and ride a pony.

The text is well written. It is a little long for children under the age of four, but I think it is well-suited for older children. The illustrations are very unusual and interesting to look at. They are a whimsical combination of oil paintings and sketches. I personally enjoyed looking at the sketches portraying the various myths.

I read the story to my two children, ages two and five. My five-year-old already knew that babies weren't delivered by storks. She thought it was silly to think such a thing. Nevertheless, she enjoyed the story, as did my two-year-old son, who enjoyed looking at the pictures.

Sherry Ellis
Author of That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN

waiting is hard
A young girl knows that a new cousin will join their family. She is having a hard time waiting for the baby's arrival. She asks all the people in her family how will she know when it's time for the baby to be born. They all have a different answer for her!

waiting for baby
Waiting for baby might be a familiar theme in the world of picture books, but this one is unique. Kimberly Willis Holt mixes tenderness and humor. The illustrations by Gabi Swiatowska are stunning. This book was a finalist in the picture book category of the Cybil awards.