Monday, October 8, 2012

What Will You Be, Grandma? by Nanette Newman - OPTIONAL

Newman, Nanette and Emma Chichester Clark What Will You Be, Grandma? 48 pgs. Templar Books/Candlewick, 2011. $15.99. PICTURE BOOK.

When Lily asks her grandma, "What do you think you'll be when you grow up?" it kicks off a book-long discussion of possibilities. Lily and her grandmother decide she could be, among other things, a lady who goes to school and tells children to play instead of learning, or an artist who paints rainbows on children's faces, or someone who makes lollipops to give away.

I wanted to love this book, because the idea is fun, but I simply couldn't. While the illustrations are pretty and the portrayal of a realistic-looking grandmother refreshing, the book seemed geared more toward pleasing adults than children, in an "Oh, aren't kids cute?" sort of way. That, coupled with some very grown-up dialogue from little Lily, comes across as talking down to children rather than talking to them. May go over better at a public library or bookstore, where adults are more likely to pick out the reading material, rather than at an elementary school.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL. Reviewed by: Caryn.

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