When I Grow Up

Reviewed by: Deidre Walsh - Goodall Memorial Library, Sanford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 7, 2015

Review

This is a 2015 reprint of a book originally published in 2007. What do you want to do when you grow up? That's the question little bear imagines the answers to while he is out with his parents. The text is simple and brief, but to the point. A few words are in different sizes to standout and rhyme with the other larger font words. The illustrations were created digitally with bold black outlines and flecks of shiny gold throughout. The illustrations don't carry the story, but they are in harmony with it. The book is on the small side. But it would still work in group setting since the illustrations and text are both simple and bold and thus easy to see. This would work well as a read aloud for pre-k. It would also work as a beginning reader for k-1 due to its minimal text and simple words. The one weakness I found was in the very first two pages. The illustration on those two pages appears glaring, disconcerting and blurry to my eyes due to the profuse use of the shiny gold for the very large sun/moon. It was very uncomfortable for my eyes. The gold could have been done a bit less overwhelmingly for sensitive eyes. Otherwise a wonderful story and book.

Overall Book Score: very good