Cabbage Farmer, Child-Minder, Criminal-Finder - the world is yours to choose from! [Review]

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Book Title: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Author: Jerry Pinto

Illustrator: Ashok Rajagopalan

Publisher: Talking Cub, Speaking Tiger Books

Type: Paperback

Recommended Age: 3-6 years but a must read for adults as well!

What was the one question every single person asked you when you were a kid, and chances are that your child faces that very same question now? “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I dreaded having to answer this question, because I had no clue whatsoever what I wanted to be! In fact, the wonderfully illustrated cover image of a man looking down and asking this question to a boy, was enough to fill me with dread!

The book “What do you want to be when you grow up” is such a delight to read, with the author answering these questions from the perspective of a small boy, in the most hilarious ways possible. Written in rhyming verse, the highlight of the book is that it mentions offbeat options like a cabbage farmer, book binder, archer and child minder instead of the answers that are usually expected from a child. By avoiding the typical doctor and engineer professions, the book helps in normalizing all professions and broadening the horizons of children.

My 4 year old absolutely loved reading the book and enjoyed learning about the different professions mentioned. Some of them were new for us like a census taker and book binder, and there were many new words / places to explore like Cotopaxi and Bolshoi. We’ve read the book several times since we’ve received it, which is the mark of a truly loved book!

However, more than children, I felt it is the adults who need to read this book. In a bid to make our children conform to societal expectations, we often overlook the fact that they are just kids still finding their true happiness. As the author says