When I Grow Up

by Charise Mericle Harper

When you grow up do you want to be adventurous? Maybe generous? How about confident? Or fair? In brightly colored collage illustrations filled with imaginative detail, artist Charise Mericle Harper... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811829057
• ISBN13: 9780811829052
• Release Date: March 2001
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 1.0" x 1.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and under
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 7

Customer Reviews

A great book about what it takes to be a good person.

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.

A parents guide for growing up

"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.

Remembering the importance of imagination...

What a delightful book! I found it charmingly simple in its writing, and wondrous in its illustrations. And how refreshing to have kids read about and think about the qualities and traits one hopes to have as an adult as opposed to a specific profession. I loved the unique way she integrated real life photos/faces into her drawings. It made the book both more fanciful for me, as well as more "connected" to kids. And the children that I've shared it with have each been mysteriously drawn to the whole flavor of the book. I look forward to more offerings from this author, as I imagine her creativity will extend to realms that I will be drawn to myself!

5 Stars isn't enough

This book plays brilliantly on the age-old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" But instead of answering "Fireman" or "Ballerina," the author's answers address QUALITIES, like "I want to be generous," "I want to be fair," "I want to be curious," which of course is infinitely more important than whatever career our future grown-children happen to choose. Sound fantastic? It is. And that's just the concept. Wait 'til you see the illustrations. You will want to frame each one for your child's room. They are colorful, charming, playful, stunning. I could go on and on about "When I Grow Up" but if a picture is worth a thousand words, then I'd have to write about 15,000 words here and it STILL wouldn't do the book justice. A great book not only for parents and kids, but, like Dr. Seuss's "Oh the Places You'll Go," it's also a perfect gift for high school & college graduates. Congratulations, Charise, on creating something so wondrous.

Vibrant Illustrations Full of Discovery

The illustrations of "When I Grow Up" remind me of my favorite books from childhood. Wonderful funny details invite discovery on every page---whether it's finding out what the little bug fellow is up to, or realizing there's a fish walking around by virtue of a fishbowl helmet (full of water, of course).The humor of these brilliantly colored and patterned illustrations set the scene for a relaxed talk about ideas like bravery, generosity and patience. This is a truly delightful book of lessons and laughter for both reader and child.