Is it possible to have the hiccups for the rest of your life? In this delightfully fun picture book, a determined kid who's good at everything except waiting discovers that being patient and taking a deep breath may be the perfect place to start.

When Max gets a persistent case of the hiccups, she tries everything to make them go away. She tries holding her breath. She tries drinking water upside down. She tries standing on her head and doing a somersault, but nothing works. "The only way to get rid of the hiccups is to wait," says her grandmother. But Max doesn't have time to wait!

She wonders if she'll have the hiccups FOREVER. Soon, her imagination runs wild. What if she sets a record for the longest case of hiccups? Will doctors study her? Will babies stare at her? And what if, when she becomes president, the entire world hears her hiccup? But then, she starts to listen to the leaves rustling in the wind and feels the sun on her face. She takes a breath, she pauses, she waits...and the unexpected occurs.

Jennifer E. Smith's humorous story will resonate with readers who have experienced the eternity of waiting and anyone who has had a frustrating case of the hiccups. With bright illustrations by Brandon James Scott, this imaginative and funny picture book reminds children--and adults-- that discovering the solution to a problem sometimes requires taking a few breaths and slowing down.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Random House Studio
Published: 11/04/2025
ISBN: 9780593709009
Pages: 40
Weight: 1.25lbs

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 08/11/2025
Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2025