Need a morale booster?

So grateful to Publishers Weekly for this nice review of “What Are You Waiting For?”:

Lightly rhyming second-person verse spotlights patience and perseverance in this morale-boosting picture book framed via a looming talent show. Finding ways to contribute prompts anticipation—both excited and anxious—among school-age children preparing for auditions: “You’re waiting to prove/ that you’re ready for action.” Noting that readiness “might take a day,/ a month,/ or a year,” text councils appreciation for the process and all it yields: “You are never just waiting./ You are learning and growing.” Employing pencil, pastels, crayons, markers, and digital tools, Johannes embraces the chaos of self-growth, enlivening busy scenes of practice with vibrant color-saturation, and depicting subjects with exaggerated facial expressions as they gleefully rehearse their talents. An uplifting concluding sentence hearkens back to the book’s title, enjoining readers to take their own leap toward following their dreams. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones.