Title: I Can Be
Author: Felicia Lee
Illustrator: Bryan Tagalogon
Intended Age Range: 4-10
Synopsis: I Can Be encourages children to think about what they want to be when they grow up while allowing them to see illustrations that represent them. (From the author)
Reflection: As children, how many times did you say, “When I grow up, I want to be…” Probably too many times to count! I can remember wanting to be many things. From being a police officer to a BIG time actress! I wanted to do it all. That is the fun and rewarding part about being a kid, kids' imagination goes pass limitations and barriers. I Can Be should be the start of a sentence that every young child utters.
Do you see those brown hands in the photo holding the book? Those are the hands of my beloved 4-year-old daughter. My husband and I make it our mission to tell her and her siblings that they, indeed, can be whatever they want to be. My husband read I Can Be to our three children and he loved it as much as they did! The bold, vivid illustrations along with the easy-to-read content made it fun to read and learn about the different professions illustrated in the book.
I can be an astronaut and land on Mars.
I Can Be is the perfect tool to explore careers. It creates the perfect moment to find a person in history who is in the same profession as illustrated in the book. My daughters and my son, if they choose to be, can be an astronaut like Jeanette Epps, the first black woman to board the International Space Station in May 2018; president of the united states like Barack Obama, or a teacher they see from their community.
I can be a pilot and fly among stars.
I enjoy watching my children’s imagination take flight. I am sure you do too! A child’s inquisitive spirit is certain to be cultivated while reading I Can Be. I Can Be captures a positive and reassuring message, taking the reader on a career exploration, page by page. By the end of the book, children will learn regardless of race or gender they can aspire to pursue any career they choose.
Read. Play. Learn!
Read I Can Be! During story time rolePLAY the characters and act out how the characters' professions would be based on their career choice. This is a great and fun way for children to LEARN about the different careers option and allows for children to think about what they aspire to be when they grow up.
To purchase your copy of I can Be, click here!