At pickup time, Ben is the child still waiting after everyone else has gone. Johanna Lindemann's picture book shows what happens when he starts explaining exactly why his dad is running late.

Readical Key Points

• A picture book for ages 3 to 6 (preschool to grade 1)
• Illustrated by Mareike Ammersken; translated from the German by Christian Maclean
• First published in German by Carlsen Verlag, according to the publisher
• Reviewed in Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal and Booklist
• Hardcover, 28 pages, Floris Books, 2026

Every afternoon the other children leave with their grown-ups, and Ben stays behind until his father finishes work. One day he tells his friends the reason for the wait: his dad reigns over a kingdom of treasure and has to guard it from snake-monsters and robbers. The tale grows over the following days, and the other families start lingering to hear the next part. Ammersken's pictures set an ordinary working day beside the one Ben invents.

Parents, caregivers, preschool teachers and librarians can share it with children who know the long wait at the end of the day, especially when a grown-up works late. The translation keeps the book's German setting, so Ben's after-school group is called kindergarten. Lindemann writes the wait from the point of view of the child doing the waiting.

About the Author, Illustrator and Translator

Johanna Lindemann has told stories for more than twenty years and also has a background in advertising and film; One Christmas in Our Building is among her earlier picture books. Illustrator Mareike Ammersken, from Germany, trained in early childhood education before earning a master's degree in illustration. Translator Christian Maclean's publishing career spans fifty years.

Condition: Brand New and Readical Ready.

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