A Cure for the Hiccups

Is it possible to have the hiccups forever? In this delightfully fun picture book, a determined kid who's good at everything 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!

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 imaginative and funny picture book, with bright illustrations by Brandon James Scott, reminds children--and adults--that discovering the solution to a problem sometimes requires taking a few breaths and slowing down.

Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Publisher: Random House Studio
Published: 11/04/2025
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.27lbs
Size: 11.10h x 9.20w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9780593709009
Audience: Ages 4-8


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 08/11/2025
Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2025
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 10/01/2025
Booklist 10/09/2025

About the Author
Jennifer E. Smith is the bestselling author of eleven books for young adults, including The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between, both of which have been adapted for film. She is also the author of the picture books The Creature of Habit and The Creature of Habit Tries His Best, both illustrated by Leo Espinosa. 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-three languages. She lives in Los Angeles.

Brandon James Scott is the Emmy Award-nominated creator of the Canadian preschool television series Justin Time and is an animation director with over ten years of experience in the animation industry. He is also the illustrator of more than ten picture books, including A Bear, A Bee, and a Honey Tree and its companion, A Bear, a Fish, and a Fishy Wish, as well as The Dog Who Wanted to Fly. Brandon lives with his family in Toronto.