When I Grow Up (Little Critter) (Look-Look) [Paperback]

Mercer Mayer (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Look-Look

Little Critter’s sister dreams about all the wonderful things she’s going to do when she grows up. She imagines being a great ballet dancer, a world-famous doctor, a race-car driver, and more!

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 24 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (June 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375826327
• ISBN-13: 978-0375826320
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,520 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( M ) > Mayer, Mercer
  • #71 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Careers

More About the Author

Mercer Mayer has been writing and illustrating children's books for over 35 years. He began the popular Little Critter series nearly 30 years ago and titled the first book Just for You. His wife, Gina, has been co-writing the series since the early 1990s. The books in this series address the major issues of growing up through humorous storytelling.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Use with Occupations theme., February 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: When I Grow Up (Look-Look) (Paperback)

Little Critter's sister tells about what she plans to be when she grows up. She imagines herself being able to have a variety of occupations when she gets older. I teach ESL (English as a Second Language). I found this book when I teaching about occupations. All children seem to love Little Critter, in this case his sister, so they are motivated to want to read about the occupations mentioned in the book. The pictures are great, full of lots of clues about the words on the pages. There is a minimum of text which makes it easier for children who are just starting to read to manage. I like the book and would sure like to get more copies to use in Guided Reading groups.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exceptional work filled with child friendly graphics, duplication, and text children CAN read, November 17, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When I Grow Up (Little Critter) (Look-Look) (Paperback)

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 preschooler 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. Happy to recommend.

Molly Martin
Reviewer

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My 2-1/2 Year Old LOVES this book, September 17, 2006

By 

Trixyinaz (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When I Grow Up (Little Critter) (Look-Look) (Paperback)

Right now my daughter has 5 books that she carries around with her at all times begging for us to read to her 24/7. One of those books is "When I Grow Up." We've must have read this book to her about 1,000 times. We line up her "favorite" books on the window sill next to the rocking chair and have her pick out a book one after the other. She always picks this book as the first book and last book to read. I make funny noises or comments for each of the occupations...ie: When she says she'll be a truck driver, I will pull my hand down and make a HONKING noise and then say, Get out of the way. My daughter just cracks up. And when she is a race car driver, I make speeding car noises and then a screaching noise to make the stopping sounds. She loves it and says, "You're funny mom." She LOVES it and I would recommend it to any toddler.