Waiting for Later is a thoroughly charming book which tells the story of a girl called Nancy who is looking for something to do or someone to play with.
Nancy goes on a journey from being excluded from an adult world and feeling bored to finding her own fun in a world of observation and reflection. She asks each member of her family in turn if they will play with her but the answer is always “Later”. She climbs a tree to wait for “later” to arrive and finds plenty of fun amongst the leaves. The circular structure brings the story back to where it started and Nancy has changed her perspective along the way.
The illustrations are completely absorbing. The finely crafted wood-cuts use colour sparingly to highlight points of special interest. My favourite of these delicate and detailed prints depicts Nancy surrounded by leaves and branches and on closer inspection reveals a whole ecosystem of birdlife and creepy crawlies. The gorgeous pictures are complemented by shadowy figures which hint at other goings-on in the story.
Waiting for Later is a beautiful book and would make a great bedtime story for children young and old. It is a finalist for the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children for Best Picture Book. Vote for your favourite.