“Maybe, Bat thought, there was something better in the world than cradling a sleepy, just-fed baby skunk in your arms.”

From Elana K. Arnold’s Bat and the Waiting Game.

Ever since his veterinary mother brought home an orphaned skunk kit, young Bat Tam has devoted all of his attention into caring for little Thor. While Bat knows that Thor’s stay with Bat’s family is just until the skunk is old and strong enough for him to be released back into the wild, every aspect of raising a skunk is the highlight of Bat’s day. Unfortunately, Bat’s autism sometimes makes it difficult for him to connect with the people in his life, with the exception of Bat’s family and his school friend, Israel. While Bat focuses on raising Thor, his older sister Janie focuses all her attention into learning practicing for her upcoming school play. Outside of his time at school, Bat is only away from Thor when the Tam siblings spend every-other weekend with their dad, and Bat usually spends the weekends wishing he could connect the two worlds. As Thor continues to grow strong and healthy, Bat finds himself growing more attached to the little skunk, but when a smuggled-in Thor ruins Janie’s opening night performance, Bat is left struggling to fix his mess.

Arnold’s story is sweet, realistic, and eye-opening; she writes Bat’s thought processes in a way that makes connecting with him effortless for the reader.  The pictures scattered throughout the book are sweet and help to really bring the characters and situations to life.  Bat and the Waiting Game is a sweet read that will captivate readers of all ages while also encouraging understanding.