The Hammer That Waited
Made for 4 to 7 years6 to 7 minutes aloud40 pages
The wait has a reason you can see and test: glue sets, paint dries, a clamp holds. June tries it early on scrap wood and finds out why. Pop keeps every promise he makes.
Written by Sara Lundquist. Characters and art by Blake Lundquist. Back matter: 6 to 8 for the make-it project.
This story is still being finished. The read-along opens when it is ready.
Why ages 4 to 7 years
The wait has a reason you can see and test: glue sets, paint dries, a clamp holds. June tries it early on scrap wood and finds out why. Pop keeps every promise he makes.
Read-aloud guide
Questions to ask, words to point at and repeat, and a follow-up activity. It arrives with the book.
Meanwhile: Waiting and patience
Printables
8 free sheets for this story: cards, mazes, a certificate and more, in A4 and US Letter.
Printables for The Hammer That Waited
Free, no email, no account. For personal and classroom use, not for resale.
Bookmarks: The Hammer That Waited
Bookmarks · ages 4 to 7
Three bookmarks to cut out.
Bookplates: The Hammer That Waited
Bookplates · ages 4 to 7
Eight "This book belongs to" labels to cut out and stick in.
Certificate: I waited, and I checked!
Certificate · ages 4 to 7
A certificate to fill in and hang up.
Colour the workshop
Colouring page · ages 4 to 7
A scenery page to colour, from the world of the story. Scenery only; the characters join when Blake's drawings are ready.
Feelings cards: The Hammer That Waited
Feelings cards · ages 4 to 7
Feeling words on colour cards. No faces, so a child decides what a feeling looks like.
Make it: a pencil tray, with a wait test
Make-it project · ages 6 to 8
A three-piece tray (one base, two sides, two joints) and a wait test on scrap. With a grown-up for the whole project.
Story sequencing cards: The Hammer That Waited
Story sequencing cards · ages 4 to 7
Cut out the story moments, mix them up and put them back in order. Art frames wait for Blake's pictures.
Word cards: The Hammer That Waited
Word cards · ages 4 to 7
The words to point at and say again in The Hammer That Waited, each with the line it comes from.
Formats
Paperback, 8.5×8.5
A square paperback, 24 to 40 pages depending on the story. Printed on demand.
Best for: Everyday reading, ages 2 to 7.
Prices when the shop opens
Hardcover, 8.5×8.5
The same square book in a case-laminate hardcover.
Best for: Gifts and the books you read a hundred times.
Prices when the shop opens
Keepsake editions
Later and quote-only: box sets, lap-size boards, sewn hardcovers, a landscape storyteller's edition and a two-book bind-up.
Best for: Gifts and collectors.
Prices when the shop opens
Set in
Workshop lane
A short lane with a workshop at the end of it, a stack of planks by the door and no job that cannot wait for the glue to dry. See it on the map