My four-year-old grandson, Owen, and I love to read together when we travel. While Grandpa chauffeurs us, we sit together in the back seat reading stories. What Will I Be When I Grow Up? by Susan Snyder and illustrated by Valeria Cis, is one of the books we recently enjoyed. Written for children from preschool to third grade, it includes colorful paintings of people in nine different careers.
Each two-page spread asks, “Will I be . . .” and mentions a different vocation, such as a nurse, farmer, hairstylist, or builder. The response to each question is, “Maybe, but even if I’m not . . .” and then includes something the child can do, along with a Bible verse that emphasizes that thought. For example, for one vocation, Snyder asks, “Will I be an author and write interesting stories for children to read?” She answers, “Maybe, but even if I’m not . . . I can write notes and cards and send them to people to cheer them up.” The verse to accompany that thought is Hebrews 3:13, “Encourage one another daily.”
As Owen and I read the book, we discussed each page. In response to the question about becoming an author, we talked about how much fun it is to receive mail. When we arrived home, I supplied Owen with paper, crayons, and scissors, and he cheerfully “wrote” notes (pictures and his signature) to his cousins, and I mailed them.
What Will I Be When I Grow Up? plants the seed that no matter what the child becomes, the most important thing is to live his or her life to please God.
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What Will I Be When I Grow Up?: How God Made Me Somebody Special |
About Lydia Harris
Lydia E. Harris is happily married to Milt, her sweetheart for 48 years. She has two married children, five grandkids, and is the author of a Bible study, "Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting" (AMG Publishers, 2010 release). She's also a tea enthusiast and writes the column "A Cup of Tea with Lydia."
