When I Grow Up: Amazon.ca: Charise Mericle Harper: Books

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

The phrase, "When I grow up, I want to be...," typically precedes a career choice, but in this amiable debut volume, Harper fills in the blank with qualities like "brave" and "determined." Each spread presents a single word, hand-printed in colorful capital letters, along with a statement and illustration to demonstrate the ideal. She matches the term "generous" with a winter scene between two friends ("You can have one of my mittens, I'll keep my hand in my pocket"). "Imaginative" pictures a girl, a few thought bubbles and the artistic suggestion, "Let's make something out of this box." Harper short-circuits sentimentality by adopting a na?ve folk-art style, ? la Calef Brown or Rodney Alan Greenblat. Her playful acrylic paintings feature polka-dot frames and a recurrent set of animals, including a blue-green squirrel, a hat-wearing dog and a comical six-legged bug "magnified" by inset windows. Most memorably, Harper uses black-and-white photos of children's faces, seemingly snipped from a grade school yearbook, as collage elements. These illustrations are funny without mocking their anonymous subjects, and they have a do-it-yourself appeal. In addition to youngsters, this volume also suits those who have outgrown childhood, but still aspire to be "confident" and "optimistic." All ages. (Mar.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-This picture book opens with the statement, "When I grow up I want to be-" and then devotes a double-page spread to each of 14 positive attributes. Each trait is presented on the verso along with an illustrative example portrayed on the recto. A girl shows how "adventurous" she can be when she eagerly agrees to try some "purple and orange polka dot pizza." A boy shows readers how to be "generous" when he shares his mittens with a yellow dog. The final double-page spread, which resembles a classroom bulletin board, encourages readers to apply all the positive characteristics to their daily lives. Harper's cheery illustrations combine acrylic paintings with photographs of children's heads completing the figures. Observant readers will enjoy finding enlarged, framed illustrations of blue bugs and direction lines that point to where the bugs are hiding on each right-hand page. Every page is framed and the textured, vibrant illustrations have a tactile element. Educators may find this colorful book useful when discussing behavior and interactions with others.
Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
We'll run so fast won't even see us. Read the first page

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Concordance

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars excellent dose of good character, Sep 30 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: When I Grow Up (Hardcover)

I loved this book! Charise has really hit the right note with a book like this. At a time when parents are busy enrolling their children in class after class, this book makes you stop and think. It makes you ask "What are the character traits that I can instill in my child?" instead of "what are the capabilities I can instill in my child." She doesn't preach or sermonize and still the message hits right home. Delightful ! I could talk my kids to death on the importance of being good and humane people or I could read them this book.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A great book about what it takes to be a good person., April 20 2001

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Jack Dempsey IV (Park Ridge, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When I Grow Up (Hardcover)

When I Grow Up - I want to be able to draw and have insight like Charise Mericle Harper! This is an outstanding book with the most original and captivating illustration style I've ever seen. My daughter finds something hilarious on every page and getting her giggles to subside is the only problem. A really smart message about what it takes to be a good person. Qualities and traits for us all to aspire to and find within ourselves. Already a family favorite in this house.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A parents guide for growing up, April 11 2001

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Doreen Boitard (Vancouver B.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When I Grow Up (Hardcover)

"When I Grow Up" by Charise Mericle Harper is great book for parents,grandparents and educators. This book is beautifully illustrated and the amusing examples make it easy for children to understand. As parents we all want our children to be responsible, kind and caring. This book illustrates these qualities in a delightful way, and the book can be used as a learning process for both parents and children.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Remembering the importance of imagination...
What a delightful book! I found it charmingly simple in its writing, and wondrous in its illustrations. Read more

Published on April 1 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Remembering the importance of imagination...
What a delightful book! I found it charmingly simple in its writing, and wondrous in its illustrations. Read more

Published on April 1 2001 by David A. Flatley