Elementary Secondary Higher Ed Common Reads
0 0
Download high-resolution image
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00

A Cure for the Hiccups

Author Jennifer E. Smith
Illustrated by Brandon James Scott
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00
Ebook
RH Childrens Books | Random House Studio
On sale Nov 04, 2025 | 32 Pages | 9780593709023
Preschool - 3
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

See Additional Formats
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.
Jennifer E. Smith is the bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including The Unsinkable Greta James and the young adult novels The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between, both of which have been adapted for film. She earned a master's degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and her work has been translated into thirty-four languages. She lives in Los Angeles. View titles by Jennifer E. Smith
Brandon James Scott View titles by Brandon James Scott
"No hiccups here: a charmer about helping a child handle a familiar problem realistically." —Kirkus Reviews

"An aptly gentle look at the connection between the mindful and the somatic." —Publishers Weekly

"Kiddos will giggle as [Max's] fantasies run wild and she imagines how hiccups will affect her future....will help any reader take a moment to breathe, and perhaps, get rid of their hiccups." —The Bulletin

About

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.

Author

Jennifer E. Smith is the bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including The Unsinkable Greta James and the young adult novels The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between, both of which have been adapted for film. She earned a master's degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and her work has been translated into thirty-four languages. She lives in Los Angeles. View titles by Jennifer E. Smith
Brandon James Scott View titles by Brandon James Scott

Praise

"No hiccups here: a charmer about helping a child handle a familiar problem realistically." —Kirkus Reviews

"An aptly gentle look at the connection between the mindful and the somatic." —Publishers Weekly

"Kiddos will giggle as [Max's] fantasies run wild and she imagines how hiccups will affect her future....will help any reader take a moment to breathe, and perhaps, get rid of their hiccups." —The Bulletin

Additional formats

Other Books by this Author

Related Articles

English Language Arts Social Studies & History

Books for Hispanic & Latine Heritage Month

This Hispanic & Latine Heritage Month (and beyond!), we’re celebrating authors, creators, and illustrators from the Hispanic and Latine community. Join us in uplifting their voices and stories by bringing them into your classroom. Find a full collection of Elementary School titles here.

Read more

Books for Hispanic & Latine Heritage Month

English Language Arts Social Studies & History

Penguin Random House Elementary Education

© 2025 Penguin Random House

Back to Top
0
    • 0
    Wish List (0)