We Are Expecting You!

The waiting is the hardest part for a young elephant eagerly anticipating a new arrival in Saltzberg’s tender picture book. As brief text suggests things the siblings will lovingly do and share in the days ahead, a petite purple pachyderm stands close to their gray, kind-faced gestating parent and directly addresses the fetus growing within. “I will read to you,” the young elephant says. “I can sing to you.” And on the same page on which the youth promises “I will really try to wait for you patiently,” they also shout “Come out already!”—hinting at growing impatience to come. Single-color backgrounds provide perky canvases for the stylized, black-lined protagonists. Simple text and expressive figures make for a warm and entertaining way to introduce the idea of a growing family—and to bide time until an infant arrives. Ages 3–5. (May)