Wait for Me! Said Maggie McGee: Picture Book [Hardcover]

Jean Van Leeuwen (Author), Jacqueline Rogers (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001 | Age Level: 4 and up

Maggie is the littlest member of the McGee family. All seven of her brothers and sisters are forever racing ahead, doing the cool things that big kids get to do. They ride bicycles (Maggie's feet are too short for the pedals). They climb trees ("Are you ever coming down?" asks Maggie.) And they go to school, while Maggie must wait for them at home. But during all that waiting, something is happening to Maggie. She keeps...growing! Proving that sometimes the best things come in little packages, what Maggie has in store for her will comfort young readers who just can't wait to be big.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Similar in appearance, sentiment, and subject matter to books by Anna Grossnickle Hines and Shirley Hughes, this portrait of family life focuses on the youngest of eight children. As her siblings go out to conquer the world in their various pursuits, Maggie feels left behind. Initially, she is too small to keep up with the "big kids." Once she begins school, she still finds that she is not able to participate in all of their activities. It's not until she helps her fourth-grade brother remember his lines in the midst of the school play and hands up a ballet shoe to substitute for the princess's lost glass slipper that Maggie gains the recognition she craves. The members of the cast then grant her three wishes, all of which initiate Maggie into the realm of the older children. This warm story of yearning and growth will strike a common chord with children. The exquisite messiness and chaos of family life is sweetly rendered in engaging watercolors. Maggie McGee is a spunky, appealing role model for the youngest among us.
Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4-7. Maggie is the youngest of eight McGee kids. She's too little to ride her tricycle or reach the cookie jar, and when her siblings return from school, she's left out of their games. She plays by herself, collecting discarded family objects and found treasures until finally she's big enough for school. She loves everything, especially show-and-tell, but she's always aware that the big kids get to do more. Maggie gets her chance to shine when she saves the school play, and the story ends with an older, lanky Maggie trouncing her brothers on the basketball court. With gentle, poignant humor, Van Leeuwen tells a charming, straightforward story most younger siblings can relate to, from the hand-me-down clothes and toys to the powerful impact of feeling excluded. In appealing detailed watercolors reminiscent of Julie Vivas' work, Rogers' illustrations nicely capture the cozy disarray of a large family and create in plump, disheveled Maggie an irresistible heroine for younger kids. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803723571
• ISBN-13: 978-0803723573
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,970,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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