When I Grow Up

by Colin McNaughton

What would you like to be when you grow up? A spaceman? A rockstar? A pirate of the seas? Sit back in your seats as our class presents a little musical all about growing up... But don't worry if you can't decide what to be - growing up is still years away!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

34 pages, Hardcover

First published January 3, 2005

About the author

Growing up in his native England, the young Colin McNaughton had little indication that he would one day become an author-illustrator. There were no books at all in his parents' home, he recalls, but there were always comics. These were his formative literature, and their slapstick humor has been a lasting influence. "I've been talking about the comic format for years," he says. "It's the modern way of telling stories for today's children; it's about movement, the step between film and the book."


Colin McNaughton says he "hated school. The word 'school' still gives me nightmares." Opting for technical college, he admits he even "made a mess of getting in there -- I'd filled out the application wrong, and when I turned up for registration they'd never heard of me!" So he worked at odd jobs for the next year before entering art school. Although his first book was published while he was still in school, Colin McNaughton did not immediately become a full-time artist. He first tried editorial and advertising work, but did not find the satisfaction that he got out of creating children's books. "At the end of it, there it is, a book on the shelf, not like a newspaper in the gutter. In fact, once you start thinking about it, it's a smashing job!" If the response to his books is any indication, children and adults seem to agree that Colin McNaughton is doing a "smashing job."


Colin McNaughton lives in London with his wife.

Reviews

[Abi · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good model book to use when teaching rhyme to KS1 or maybe lower KS2.
The book portrays a school play where children act out their dreams on stage. It could be a good text to explore performance with children and acting out what they want to be when they grow up. Although I would use with caution because it has pretty stereotyped gender roles and highlights gender norms which are outdated. However, could be a good source of discussion about how women can be scientists and men could want to be a stay at home Dad!

[Ruby Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good picture book to model rhyme in KS1.
In KS2, whilst the language is probably not at an appropriate level to stretch children, it can be used to discuss gender stereotypes, especially in 'male dominated' subjects, stereotypically maths and science. The book hosts a couple of examples where the characters break out of societal gender norms, but it doesn't necessarily advocate that your gender does not define your future. It could be used as a great platform for some cross-curricular links: using surveys in science to record what children in the school would like to be when they grow up; the data then manipulated into graphs in mathematics, and finally children to write their own poems about what they have found and whether or not children are conforming to the gender stereotypes of society.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The class is putting on a musical about what they want to be when they grow up, but there's a problem when one of the kids says they don't want to grow up. The teacher steps in to say they don't have to grow up yet (or know what they want to be).

[Tyffani Mine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fictional narrative is about a class play in which the students share what they want to be when they get older. Each student has a unique choice for example king of the jungle, a pirate, or a mermaid. Although some of their choices were not realistic, the characters do portray how vivid the imagination of young children can be. As a teacher, I will use this text to teach about rhyming words because each page has a rhyming scheme. I could also use this text to recreate the dramatic play, but instead have the students act out their own aspirations.

[Josie Harlan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about a class play where the students talk about what they would like to be when they grow up. This applies to gender roles because not all students want jobs that are gender specific. I more or less liked it because it it showed that a student can dream of being whatever they like even a mermaid! It's a silly book and I think young beginner readers would enjoy it for its easy read and visually pleasing illustrations.

[Kate McCartney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids put a school play with each child's scene being about what they want to be when they grow up, some everyday jobs pop as do some fantastical ones, a pirate and a mermaid. I think my favorite are the four boys who want to be a boy band. The last child though portrays what I think all adults might say if given the opportunity to go back and do choose "I don't want to grow up!"

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

We are trying out a lot of McNaughton's books, and this was my least favorite but my four-year old got a laugh.

[Teri · Rating 2 out of 5]

definitely not one of his better books

[Rosanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am using this book for a class program at the end of the year.