What Will I Be?
on Goodreads (3)
What’s inside...
WHAT WILL I BE? follows a young girl as she imagines pursuing various professions, such as sailor and writer, and ultimately decides on one. The book also explores the extensive career of author Judith Weinshall Liberman, who has authored and illustrated many children's books, and her collaboration with illustrator Cindy Nguyen.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
0-2
Length
32 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What are some of the jobs you think you might like to do when you grow up, and why?
How do the characters in the book explore different roles, and what can we learn from them?
What does it mean to have a job, and why is it important to choose something you enjoy?
How do you think learning new things now can help you in choosing a career later?
If you could invent a new job that doesn’t exist yet, what would it be and what would you do?
Tip: Role play these questions
Set a relaxed and comfortable reading environment where your child feels free to express their thoughts and feelings.
Highlight the different careers explored in the book, and link them to any known adults with those jobs to make it more relatable.
Encourage your child to dream and visualize by asking them to draw or act out the job they might want to do.
Use positive reinforcement to celebrate the diversity of interests and skills illustrated in the book, promoting a healthy mindset towards different careers.
After reading, continue the conversation over the next few days, linking discussions to real-world examples of people enjoying their jobs.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Exploration of self-identity
Explanation: The narrative encourages children to think about various roles and professions they can assume when they grow up, promoting a sense of self-awareness and future planning.
Real-World Application: Children can apply this by discussing their dreams and aspirations with friends and family, helping them to understand and articulate their interests and goals from an early age.
Example Lesson: Importance of imagination
Explanation: Through imaginative play and scenarios depicted in the book, children are shown how they can explore different careers and life paths creatively.
Real-World Application: This lesson can be enacted in a child's life through engaging in role-playing activities, which stimulates creativity and aids in cognitive and social development.
Example Lesson: Value of education and learning
Explanation: The book highlights how learning and gaining knowledge is integral to achieving one's dreams, subtly emphasizing the role of education.
Real-World Application: Children can be encouraged to take an active interest in their educational journey, understanding that each subject they study can play a role in their future careers.
Example Lesson: Understanding diverse perspectives
Explanation: By depicting various careers and societal roles, the book teaches children to appreciate and respect different professions and the roles people play in society.
Real-World Application: This can be taught by encouraging children to learn about and from diverse people they meet in day-to-day life, promoting empathy and open-mindedness.
Example Lesson: Resilience and perseverance
Explanation: The characters in the book often face challenges in their various roles, which teaches children the importance of persisting despite obstacles.
Real-World Application: Parents can highlight this lesson by discussing times when the child faced difficulties and overcame them, reinforcing the value of perseverance in achieving goals.