Wait 'Til You're Older is a thoughtful examination of a child's inquisitive and imaginative quest to travel through time. When Reha asks to play with her brother's toy dinosaur, and he says no it persuades Reha to wonder what it would require to travel through time so she could be in the future in order to be sufficiently grown up enough to be able to play with this favorite toy dinosaur. Through a series of conversations, Reha equips herself with knowledge to travel through time.

Told through the perspective of a chemical engineer who was motivated by Paul Davies' How To Build A Time Machine, Wait 'Til You're Older is one of the most thoughtful and detailed children's books that could qualify as science fiction as can be found in today's literary market. Children will be delighted by the bright illustrations and wonderful descriptions and parents and teachers will be thrilled to watch young children reading and developing a fascination for the facets and mechanisms of science!

I absolutely loved Wait ‘Til You’re Older by Maria Marianayagam! This charming story serves as a much-needed reminder for readers of all ages about the importance of being present, appreciating the moment, and not wishing time away. As parents, we know all too well how quickly time passes, so this book beautifully captures the sentiment of savoring the present instead of rushing toward the future.

The protagonist, Reha, is an incredibly resourceful and determined young girl. She’s tired of hearing the all-too-familiar phrases, “No” and “Wait ‘til you’re older,” from both her parents and her older brother. In response, Reha decides to take matters into her own hands and embarks on a quest to discover how to time travel. What unfolds is a delightful adventure where Reha, despite her young age, shows tremendous courage and ingenuity as she works to figure out how to make her time-travel dreams come true. Of course, like any young adventurer, she makes a few mistakes along the way, which only adds to the humor and light-heartedness of the story. Her perseverance and resourcefulness make her a wonderfully strong and relatable character for young readers.

The illustrations in this book were absolutely darling. They complement the story perfectly, capturing the whimsical nature of Reha’s journey while also conveying the warmth and joy that the narrative evokes. The artwork adds an extra layer of charm to the story, making it even more enjoyable to read and explore.

Overall, Wait ‘Til You’re Older is a heartwarming and delightful read that I would wholeheartedly recommend. It’s a perfect book for children, as well as for parents who will appreciate the underlying message of appreciating the present moment and not rushing through life. It’s a great reminder for all of us to slow down and enjoy the time we have, especially as it passes so quickly.

Such a relatable, funny, and tender book! The illustrations are charming, and the story perfectly captures how eager kids are to grow up fast, dreaming about all the things they'll do "when they're older." As a mom of two, I felt this story deeply—my kids sometimes struggle to play together peacefully until something special or unusual unites them, just like in this book.

I especially loved the informational pages at the end, full of interesting topics we could explore together instead of arguing or fighting. A heartwarming and thoughtful read for the whole family!

I received an electronic ARC from SOURCEBOOKS Kids through NetGalley.
Reha is disappointed and angry that her older brother won't let her play with his things. He tells her she is too little and her mama tells her she needs to wait until she is older. So, she first decides to build a time machine and travel to the future. When that doesn't work, she looks for a wormhole to travel to the past. Finally, she build a rocket to travel to space. By this time, her brother joins her and they have a marvelous time using their imagination.
Marianayagam captures this dynamic and offers readers connection points in their own lives. The artwork is vividly colored and pulls readers in to travel too.

An adorable story with beautiful illustrations about wanting to be older and appreciating where you are in the present. Reha comes up with creative solutions to each of her problems and by the time she reaches the end she’s having fun!

What a special picture book! Stunning illustrations and a golden message shared in a fresh way. Based on the title, I wasn’t sure what to expect and loved it even more than I thought it would. This one will definitely have a spot on our son’s bookshelf!

Thank you to the author, illustrator, Net Galley and Sourcebooks Explore for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love that the main character in this book is proactive and tries to get where she wants to be by using her brain. The reader learns from her too, about space and time. There is a nice section at the end with some basics about time travel which will appeal to inquisitive kids. I love how the author shows that the future is coming, we don't have to rush toward it.

Thank you for the ARC. I will purchase for my library.

Gorgeous illustrations in this book. The story line itself is wonderful and fun. I love all of the main characters misunderstandings of wormholes and such. All that being said I can't really see this book being for the audience it is marketed as. I feel the choice of words as well as concepts introduced are things that would not be as graspable by a child that age. The language is just a bit off in the flow as well, which is often what keeps young readers interested in a book.

This book was not of use to me. I found it to be lacking content. It would not be useful in my classroom.

I received an ARC of this children's book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really wonderful book. The pictures and the story are both adorable!

Maria Marianayagam, this book is ABSOLUTELY genius! I was a preschool teacher for five years, and wish I had this book my on classroom bookshelf. It was phenomenal. I have four kids under six, and we have so cherished reading it over and over again. Thank you for creating this beautiful work of art for kids to read! Highly recommend.

This is SUCH a sweet, funny story with adorable illustrations! Reha is a young girl who desperately wants to grow up so she can play with the same toy as her brother. When she's told to "wait until you're older," she figures that if she travels to the future, she won't have to wait! That is, until she realizes she may have to technically go *back* in time...or to outer space...and by the time she's planning, she's having fun with her brother and has forgotten why she wanted to grow older in the first place.

I can imagine this would be an effective and fun way to teach kids the concept of staying in the present moment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an adorable story about wanting to grow up a little too soon. The illustrations are beautiful.

So this is a story about Reha, who starts out wanting to play with her brother's toy dinosaur and ends up trying several solutions, like trying to build a time machine and a spaceship. Reha is persistent and smart, and by the end, she's had a great day with her family.
The last pictures were so cute I kept looking at them again. At the end of the story, young readers can learn the science behind concepts like time travel, with helpful information and questions. Such an entertaining and informative book!
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

The illustrations are absolutely stunning, bursting with color and detail that complement the story beautifully. The storytelling is engaging and age-appropriate, with just the right balance of excitement and heart. Thank you for the advanced copy!