Little Critter's little sister is weary with being too little

The Review When I Grow Up tells of a predicament that often faces Little People; because Little Critter's little sister is weary with being too little; she daydreams about all the extraordinary things she is going to do when she grows up. She envisions becoming a graceful and grand ballet dancer, or a courageous high wire walker, or a speedy race car driver, or a truck driver, or a world-famous doctor, or … I teach six year olds who do not always have well developed speaking skills notwithstanding the fact that English is our native language. Children frequently have a good bit of trouble trying to relate ideas, plans or thoughts. The illustrations offered by Mercer Mayer on the pages of When I Grow Up are so well done, child pleasing and full of lots of clues relating to the words on the pages that my students are provided impetus for their discussion. I find that my students are often well able to put into words more of what they want to say as I turn the page and they view the illustration. As time goes on during the school term the kids are able to go on to more verbalization without need for relying upon the pictures. Little Critter's sister communicates her numerous and varied plans to the reader for what she will do WHEN she grows up. I use When I Grow Up as a discussion starter in my First Grade class room as we talk about different types of jobs available for grown ups. In an area where almost everyone is involved in the –oil fields, or fast food- it is handy to have a child pleasing book to use to help children develop the perception that there are many achievable occupations open in life including, but not limited to, –oil fields, or fast food.- Little sister envisages herself engaged in any number of interesting and miscellaneous career choices when she gets older. With a bare minimum of text on each page; Little People who are beginning to make sense of the squiggles we adults call words on each page often feel very self-assured to take the book to read to a cuddly buddy in one of the DEAR offices. I have found First Graders, whether those I knew 20 years ago or those today, all love Little Critter, and his family. First Graders today continue to enjoy Little Critter, sister and all of the works created by Mercer Mayer. I teach in an area where books may not be readily available in all homes. I begin reading Little Critter/Mercer Mayer the first day of school and read the books all through the term. My students often bring one or another of the Mercer Mayer books from the book basket right to the last day of school. When I Grow Up is a work my -grown up- First Graders never fail to identify with. Most of my students have little brothers and sisters, plus they themselves generally are also little brothers and sisters. Osage County First Grade well recognizes the quandary facing Little Critter and little sister. Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter books in general, and When I Grow Up in particular, are magnificent works filled with marvelous illustrations and child pleasing developments. While the books are for the most part slanted toward the pre school set, not every pre schooler comes from homes where books and reading are practiced. TV games and raunch are often more recognized than are various children’s authors, or the books they have written. I like to fill in that gap when possible. Art work illustrating each of Mercer Mayer works are filled with detailed features and are gently presented. In the works are found tiny critters that recur from page to page –a cricket, a frog, a grasshopper, a mouse, a spider; each of them is incorporated into the visual tale. When I Grow Up has its own set of tinies, the kids and I look for them from drawing to drawing, and page to page. When I Grow Up is, as are all Mercer Mayer works, all about reiteration. As Little Critter keeps doing the same kind of thing over and over in many of the books, Little Sister is doing the same thing over and over this time. Words are repeated over and over. Adults often become weary with all the repetition, however, little readers flourish with repetition and learn through repetition. Osage County First Grade listens to the stories, choose When I Grow Up for DEAR reading time and use the illustrations as starting points for their own drawings. When I Grow Up is an exceptional work filled with child friendly graphics, duplication, and text children CAN read. When I Grow Up is a book we use for social studies discussion regarding occupations and possible job choices beyond the most common or what is right in front of our nose.