Work: Interviews with People Doing Jobs They Love

by Shaina Feinberg, Julia Rothman (illustrator)

What do a playwright, a vegan butcher, and an alpaca farmer all have in common? Two popular columnists take us behind the scenes in interviews with twenty-eight workers doing something they love.

With care and delight, New York Times columnists Shaina Feinberg and Julia Rothman take readers all over the world to explore the furthest reaches of passion and dedication in this collection of interviews. Meet a wildland firefighter, a surfer, a ferry captain, a designer of headscarves, an accessibility specialist, and many other real people doing the creative, fascinating, and often difficult jobs that make the world work. This ode to the wild and limitless range of job possibilities also includes thought-provoking questions designed to open conversations with young readers, as well as tips on how they might conduct an interview themselves. Featuring Julia Rothman’s captivating, detailed artwork drawn from real scenes and photos, Work is a work of inspiration and joy that honors people everywhere who love the work that they do.

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Childrens, Stem, Labor

64 pages, Hardcover

Published December 3, 2024

Reviews

[Hannah Showalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SUCH a good look at jobs and careers for kids! And for adults too honestly! I loved the wide-range of jobs presented, a lot of them manual labor ones which was super cool! So many interesting jobs within fields of work exist, but we just are not told about them. I could see this being really eye-opening for a lot of kids!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book showing many different jobs & people from around the world.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move over, Tuttle Twins, this is the kid lit about work we so desperately need. This book compiles interviews with people who have unique jobs, all over the world. They talk about the skills their work involves, what drew them to it or inspires them, its challenges and meaning.

Featured are real people who transport giraffes in trucks full of trees for them to snack on, Irish beeswax candle makers, a couple who runs an antique toy store in the Bronx. Indigenous tour guides, Dutch flower farmers, Indian muralists, a Korean designer who loves knitting furniture out of rope. People who drive ferries, repair instruments, increase accessibility, take good care of alpacas. A woman who got so sick of having poor experiences with car repair that she became a mechanic herself, and is helping other women do the same.

The book ends with the author and illustrator each describing their own jobs, and includes a guide for interviewing people yourself, a glossary, and open-ended prompts throughout the book.

In a chaotic world full of overnight Amazon deliveries and generative AI “art,” this book is a refreshing depiction of slow living, small business, sustainability, and finding pursuits that allow us to live our values. Also, and perhaps most importantly, I must try a bagel with ricotta and fresh figs in honor of Joe Bagel himself.

[kate. · Rating 5 out of 5]

we need more books like this!! the quality! the art! the people!!
highly recommend. on my wishlist.

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great way to introduce young readers to a variety of jobs and fields, including a lot of niche careers that I’ve never seen included in books like this (such as vegan baker and luthier) and a number of artisans and craftspeople, such as a candlemaker and a cobbler. Each individual featured had a short description of the work they do and typically included what they liked or found fulfilling about their job, what they liked to do as a kid that led them down their career path, how they got started, and/or how their work contributed positively to the world.

The list of interviewees was diverse on many fronts – particularly race, gender, (dis)ability, geographic location, and type of work. Some of my favorite excerpts included:



• Braydon Saunders, tour guide in Budg Bim National Park: “‘Budj Bim was a part of my people’s creation story,’ says Braydon…. Braydon takes visitors on tours of the park and tells them why the land is so special. He also teaches visitors about the Gunditjmara people. ‘We have the oldest aquaculture system in the world,’ says Braydon. ‘We created a sustainable lifestyle by farming eels and other fish.’”
• Andini Makosinski, inventor: “‘We usually think of Thomas Edison or Nikola Tesla when we think of an inventor,’ says Andini. ‘But I think an inventor can be anyone that just sees things around them and goes, ‘If I piece them together, can I make something better out of it? Or solve a problem?’”
• Iman Adelbe, a designer of modest clothing and headwear: “To Iman, it is important to show that Muslim women can be independent and powerful. ‘I like to make things that are not only pretty,’ she says. ‘They also make people think.’”
• Karen Braitmayer, an architect & accessibility specialist (and herself a wheelchair user): “‘When members of the Deaf community communicate through sign language, they want to be able to walk alongside each other so that they can see each other.’ Because of that, Karen wants to make sure that hallways are wide enough for people to walk and gesture comfortably.’”
• Nate Macabuag, prosthetics maker: “Nate doesn’t use prosthetics himself, ‘so I listen to the people who actually use them,’ he says. Nate meets people with limb differences and tries to understand what it is that they want to do.”
• Patrice Banks, auto technician and founder of Girls Auto Clinic, who trains other women how to do car maintenance/repair: “‘Every day my staff shows up to work, they’re inspiring other women to be more confident and to try something they might not have before.’”

Each was also followed up by food-for-thought questions related to the interviewee’s words, in order to make the work relatable to young readers and get them thinking about how to channel their interests, such as, “What do you do that makes you feel like you’re living in the moment?”, “Have you ever collected something from nature—like pine cones or seashells-and then displayed them for someone to see?”, “How do the clothes you wear make you feel?”, and “What kinds of cool animals and birds do you see in your community? Have you ever taken photos of them or drawn them?”

The end of the book included information about how the book was made, which can help readers start to think about the processes and people that create the objects and experiences that they encounter in their everyday lives.

The full list of interviewees and jobs are as follows:

• Dr. Robert Aruho, a wildlife veterinarian in Kampala, Uganda
• Dan Treiber & Reina Mia Brill, toyshop owners in the Bronx, NY, U.S.
• Andini Makosinski, inventor on Vancouver Island, Canada
• Pete Kern, candlestick maker in Dromahair, Ireland
• Braydon Saunders, tour guide at Budj Bim National Park in Victoria, Australia
• Joe Morena, bagel baker in Montreal, Canada
• Joana Andrade, surfer based in Ericeira, Portugal
• Linda van der Slot & Marlies Weijers, flower farmers in Lisse, Holland
• Lauren Nassef, research assistant (including preserving specimen collections) at the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois
• Pato Rodriguez, street food vendor in Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Iman Aldebe, fashion designer of modest clothing in Stockholm, Sweden
• Satoko Ichihara, playwright in Tokyo, Japan
• Daniela Ghezzo, cobbler in Venice, Italy
• Karen Braitmayer, architect & accessibility specialist in Seattle, Washington, U.S.
• Anpu Varkey, muralist based in Bangalore, India
• Nate Macabuag, prosthetics maker in London, England
• Kwangho Lee, designer in Seoul, South Korea
• Ayesha Rascoe, radio host in Washington, DC, U.S.
• Tania Esteban, wildlife filmmaker based in Bristol, England
• Aubry & Kale Walch, vegan butchers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
• Chef Fresh, farmer & chef in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
• I Chen, alpaca farmer in Akaroa, New Zealand
• Mary Lee, wildland firefighter based in Jackson, Wyoming, U.S.
• Peter Schultze, ferry captain on the Weser River in Germany
• Mamie Minch & Chloe Swantner, luthiers in Brooklyn, NY, U.S.
• Patrice Banks, auto technician in Upper Darby, PA, U.S.
• Julia Rothman, illustrator of the book, located in Brooklyn, NY, U.S.
• Shaina Feinberg, writer of the book, located in Brooklyn, NY, U.S.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shaina Feinberg and Julia Rothman set out to show people they can love what they do for work by interviewing people from all over the world. The one I expected to see were those who work with wildlife or science, but the authors didn’t leave anybody out. There is a candlestick maker, a surfer, a prosthetics maker, a ferry captain, and many more. Shaina wrote everything out while Julia painted the illustrations based off of photographs. In the back of the book, it also teaches children how to interview and paint if they want to give Julia or Shaina’s job a try. I have to add that the illustrations and formatting of the book are stunning with all the little details in place.

WORK: INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE WHI LOVE THEIR JOB is a resourceful book that can give children so many ideas of what they can be when they grow up. Many children go into occupations because it’s what their parents do, but this book gives them insight to other options that are out there. Some they may have never heard of or given any thought. Work seems like an annoying thing, but these interviews show children you don’t have to settle for something you don’t like. There’s too many options in the world to do something you hate. I also really love how sincere these interviews feel and how the reader can tell they enjoy what they do.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to all children aged six and older because it’s never too early to start thinking about their future. This would also be a great addition to career day in schools because it opens they playing field up. The dedication Julia and Shaina have to compile this book isn't missed and I can't even imagine how long it actually took to get all of these interviews done which fascinates me even more.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember being asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I always said the same thing: a neuroscientist. It was a job I knew nothing about but sounded cool. If I had read a book like Work, I could have imagined many other fascinating jobs outside the doctor/lawyer/scientist box. This oversized book explains assorted interesting jobs that kids will love learning about: a prosthetics maker in London, England; a bagel maker in Montreal, Canada; a research assistant at the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois; a ferry captain in Germany. Real people doing real jobs all over the world explain what they do and why. Some are exciting, some are quiet. Some are indoor jobs and some are outdoor jobs.

Women and men of different races and abilities are depicted doing their jobs: much of the artwork is “inspired by photographs,” and the mixed media portraits and surrounding images are inviting and feel like they capture the essence of the work. I recognized one person: Ayesha Roscoe is profiled as an NPR radio host in Washington, DC. And, at the end, the author and illustrator of the book get their own profiles. Kids interested in their techniques will be able to use sample interview questions to gather information about jobs on their own. There’s a table of contents and a glossary featuring technical terms and other longer words that appear in bold in the text.

A good read aloud for 5-8 year olds who enjoy non fiction. Kids who are ready to move on from Kellen Hatanaka’s Work: An Occupational ABC or Richard Scarry’s Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day? will find much to inspire them.

[May-Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed the authors' illustrated column in the New York Times and i've been following them online since. this is a cool collection of the types of work people do and they they love their day-to-day. with this title, i didn't always see the passion for people's work come through in their words, so that felt strange - and it almost seemed like there was an avoidance of regular jobs and an emphasis on the most diverse, accessible, physical types of positions. like i do think there was some space for non-hands on fields (which is the reality of many people) like a product manager, digital librarian, hardware engineer, etc. some people in these positions also love their jobs and it's a little more grounded in reality.

i'm not sure who the target audience is. i read this as an adult and i guess late elementary school or middle schoolers might be most interested in seeing what's out there?

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like all the individual interviews here! The idea of a question or two on each page for the kid to relate to the job is nice, though some of the questions work better than others. (Similarly, the suggested interview questions at the end are a good idea, but I don't think the suggestions are all that strong.)

The set of jobs here are pretty focused on non-office jobs (though some of that is just not showing people in office-looking environments). It feels like there's a good bit of agriculture, making-ish work, and creative work.

[Sequella Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A global group of different careers. Beautifully illustrated. Feinberg and Rothman are a New York Times team who had a column called STRATCH.

The questions at the end of each interview are thought provoking.

Beautiful book.

[Kristin Vandersluis · Rating 5 out of 5]

BRAVO! Our family loved this book! We checked it out from the library and now want to purchase a copy to own - it's that good. I'm just floored by the diversity and uniqueness of the people and careers / jobs that were featured. Super visually pleasing too. More books like this please.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

So often career books cover one or more of a set list of jobs we seem to offer as the only options to children. This book branches out with a diverse list of different jobs. It interviews people around the world in these jobs. The result is a fascinating, world expanding nonfiction book for kids.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I especially liked the interactive questions at the end of each interview. The illustrations truly fit and added to the narratives and descriptions. My favorite was the Toy Shop Owners.

[Michelle Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun illustrations, and a really wide variety of careers. Super interesting!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

delightful

[Fabrice Ulysse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring to see people love their jobs

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started following the feed for the toy shop mentioned on one of the pages and I am DELIGHTED! These two creatives working together is always a good time.