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I Can Be Anything
A laugh-out-loud guessing game bedtime book!
It's time for bed, but Natsumi has a brilliant idea, even better than going to sleep: She'll pretend to be something and Mom will guess what she is! Ready?
Is she a caterpillar?
An arrow sign?
An upside-down bug?
Take your best guess, then laugh along with Natsumi and her mom as they play a pre-bedtime game of charades full of silliness and surprises!
• A delightfully silly read-aloud book for young children that helps soften bedtime routines
• Part picture book, part guessing game! The interactive nature will keep kids turning the page!
• Perfect book for toddlers
Fans of Guess Again, Interrupting Chicken, and Max and the Won't Go to Bed Show will love the clever kid-friendly humor of I Can Be Anything.
• Family read-aloud books for ages 3–5
• Guessing game books for toddlers
It's time for bed, but Natsumi has a brilliant idea, even better than going to sleep: She'll pretend to be something and Mom will guess what she is! Ready?
Is she a caterpillar?
An arrow sign?
An upside-down bug?
Take your best guess, then laugh along with Natsumi and her mom as they play a pre-bedtime game of charades full of silliness and surprises!
• A delightfully silly read-aloud book for young children that helps soften bedtime routines
• Part picture book, part guessing game! The interactive nature will keep kids turning the page!
• Perfect book for toddlers
Fans of Guess Again, Interrupting Chicken, and Max and the Won't Go to Bed Show will love the clever kid-friendly humor of I Can Be Anything.
• Family read-aloud books for ages 3–5
• Guessing game books for toddlers
56 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2016
3 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Shinsuke Yoshitake
66 books168 followersAssociated Names:
* ヨシタケ シンスケ (Japanese)
* Shinsuke Yoshitake (English)
* 吉竹伸介 (Chinese)
* 요시타케 신스케 (Korean)
* ชินสุเกะ โยชิทาเกะ (Thai)
Shinsuke Yoshitake is the author-illustrator of many award-winning picture books, including New York Times Notable Children's Book of the Year There Must Be More Than That!, New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year The Boring Book, I Can Be Anything, I Won't Give Up My Rubber Band, and I Can Explain. His books have been translated into more than 10 languages. He lives in Japan.
* ヨシタケ シンスケ (Japanese)
* Shinsuke Yoshitake (English)
* 吉竹伸介 (Chinese)
* 요시타케 신스케 (Korean)
* ชินสุเกะ โยชิทาเกะ (Thai)
Shinsuke Yoshitake is the author-illustrator of many award-winning picture books, including New York Times Notable Children's Book of the Year There Must Be More Than That!, New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year The Boring Book, I Can Be Anything, I Won't Give Up My Rubber Band, and I Can Explain. His books have been translated into more than 10 languages. He lives in Japan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
March 10, 2020
This book taps into the exhaustion parents of young children face in a very realistic way - Natsumi wants to play a guessing game right before bedtime, and all Mommy wants is to finish the folding the laundry and put her to bed. And it shows all over her tired face. So much fun, and sure to become a bedtime favorite.
August 1, 2024
This was absolutely hilarious! A small child decides to play pretend with Mom and makes her guess what she's supposed to be playing as. But, her ideas for charades are pretty out there, so both mom and child are a bit frustrated as the game goes on. Still, it was really cute, really funny, and shows the limitless imagination of children.
January 31, 2020
"It's a clothespin...It's an omelet!" Weird in the best way.
September 3, 2020
It's bedtime, but Natsumi wants to play a game.
"I'll pretend to be something and you'll guess what it is."
"It's very easy. First question: What is it?"
"Let's see. Something dancing?"
"No, it isn't. It's a pot!"
And on goes the game, her mom never successfully guessing what Natsumi is pretending to be, with wildly imaginative choices.
Might inspire other children to play similar games with their families.
"I'll pretend to be something and you'll guess what it is."
"It's very easy. First question: What is it?"
"Let's see. Something dancing?"
"No, it isn't. It's a pot!"
And on goes the game, her mom never successfully guessing what Natsumi is pretending to be, with wildly imaginative choices.
Might inspire other children to play similar games with their families.
September 4, 2025
یکی از بامزهترین شینسوکهها بود بهنظرم که ایدههای شینسوکهایش خیلی توش جا افتاده بود. رفت کنار «میتوانم برایت بازش کنم؟» برام.
و اینکه بچههه اسم داشت اینجا هم جالب بود. معمولا ندارن تو کارهاش. :))
و اینکه بچههه اسم داشت اینجا هم جالب بود. معمولا ندارن تو کارهاش. :))
January 23, 2021
Lovely if slighty overbearing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OEND...
May 1, 2023
This is super cute. I wasn't able to guess everything she was but I did guess the snail at the end.
August 8, 2024
The ending is really nice...
September 9, 2024
Non esiste libro più divertente di questo!
April 16, 2020
When bedtime hits, so does a ton of energy as this girl spins into a whirlwind of the 'Guess what I am' game.
Any parent who has reached the end of a long day and is looking forward to a moment's rest before their child's bedtime will smile at this read. And young listeners will be inspired by the child's very imagination rich game...or maybe, they'll get ideas of their own and want to play, too. (Which may or may not be a good thing).
The child in this book is a real ball of energy, and her enthusiasm will draw more than just a good feeling or two. It's fun to watch her attempt to act out or portray various things, while the mother has no chance of guessing what she is. Young listeners can try to guess along...and I'm betting they won't get it right most of the time. Which will draw giggles and astounded 'huhs'. For anyone who isn't entrenched in the Asian culture, this won't only be a learning lesson about a few things (meso soup, Mount Fuji, etc) but might need some explanation.
The illustrations are simple and yet, expressive. It's fun to flip through and watch the guessing-game antics as the main character does her best to act out different things in so many ways. This is a read tired parents will appreciate more than young readers. But that's not necessarily a negative thing, since it makes it more fun to read while putting a child to bed.
I received a complimentary copy and me, as well as my kids, enjoyed guessing along.
Any parent who has reached the end of a long day and is looking forward to a moment's rest before their child's bedtime will smile at this read. And young listeners will be inspired by the child's very imagination rich game...or maybe, they'll get ideas of their own and want to play, too. (Which may or may not be a good thing).
The child in this book is a real ball of energy, and her enthusiasm will draw more than just a good feeling or two. It's fun to watch her attempt to act out or portray various things, while the mother has no chance of guessing what she is. Young listeners can try to guess along...and I'm betting they won't get it right most of the time. Which will draw giggles and astounded 'huhs'. For anyone who isn't entrenched in the Asian culture, this won't only be a learning lesson about a few things (meso soup, Mount Fuji, etc) but might need some explanation.
The illustrations are simple and yet, expressive. It's fun to flip through and watch the guessing-game antics as the main character does her best to act out different things in so many ways. This is a read tired parents will appreciate more than young readers. But that's not necessarily a negative thing, since it makes it more fun to read while putting a child to bed.
I received a complimentary copy and me, as well as my kids, enjoyed guessing along.
September 1, 2020
Pretty much sums up my life right now. From the bedtime delay tactics to the abstract ideas. And the mother's exhaustion just oozes out of the book. I'd love to see what guesses children will have for her poses.
May 19, 2020
At bedtime, a little girl insists that her mother play a guessing game with her. She pretends to be something and her mother must guess what she is. Her mother is reluctant and it’s clear that the little girl has gotten grumpy playing this game in the past. Readers will soon realize that this is a much more difficult game than they might have thought! The mother makes logical guesses but each time is wrong as the little girl pretends to be everything from an omelette to Mount Fuji. By the end of the game, the little girl is very tired and finally falls asleep in the middle of acting something out. Readers and the mother wonder what that might have been.
Yoshitake takes a classic moment in childhood and makes it priceless. She captures both the tired mother and the dynamic child deftly in this clever picture book. The mother getting everything wrong is pitch perfect as is the little girl’s building frustration with the situation. The relationship between them is quietly loving and filled with acceptance. The art in the book is simple and effective, showing the little girl’s version of the object and then an image of the actual thing.
Just right for all children trying to avoid bedtime. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
Yoshitake takes a classic moment in childhood and makes it priceless. She captures both the tired mother and the dynamic child deftly in this clever picture book. The mother getting everything wrong is pitch perfect as is the little girl’s building frustration with the situation. The relationship between them is quietly loving and filled with acceptance. The art in the book is simple and effective, showing the little girl’s version of the object and then an image of the actual thing.
Just right for all children trying to avoid bedtime. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
September 21, 2020
This is intended as a toddler/naptime/imagination story, and it is filled with some laughably imaginative insights revealed through minimal text and comical cartoon-like drawings of the not-sleepy child and the clearly sleepy parent. it's bound to appeal to little ones, and adult readers will grin in ecognition or sign in exhaustion as it is read aloud over and over, night after night.
The author/illustrator is suggests Japanese identity in various details (foods, Mt. Fuji, and a sleeping mat, among others) but the minimalist facial details and supportive simple images make it easily a global/universal story based on a familiar routine and relationship. The glory of toddle-brains is worth celebrating, and the size of the physical books makes it very inviting to little ones to retell the story on their own.
The author/illustrator is suggests Japanese identity in various details (foods, Mt. Fuji, and a sleeping mat, among others) but the minimalist facial details and supportive simple images make it easily a global/universal story based on a familiar routine and relationship. The glory of toddle-brains is worth celebrating, and the size of the physical books makes it very inviting to little ones to retell the story on their own.
December 13, 2020
Shinsuke Yoshitake (who you may recognize as the creator of the hysterical picture book Still Stuck) returns with the very, very funny, very dry and awesomely offbeat I Can Be Anything*, about a young girl named Natsumi who peppers her increasingly exhausted mother to guess the kinds of things (clothespin! rice ball! bulldozer! electric fan!) she is pretending to be. Both of my kids (five and two) were quite RIVETED by the story and couldn't wait to see what surprising thing Natsumi would pretend to be next!
I received a copy of this title courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.
April 25, 2021
A young child uses a guessing game to postpone bedtime. She enacts a form of charades and asks her mother to guess what she is pretending to be. Mother never guesses correctly, to the frustration of the child.
Child: Lying limply on the floor.
Mom: Um, taking a nap?
Child: No, it isn't. It's the over-cooked broccoli you sometimes make.
Finally, after numerous tries, the child becomes tired and falls asleep.
The story celebrates imaginative play and patient parental interaction.
This book is authentic to both the parent's and the child's perspectives, and may inspire the readers/listeners to guessing games of their own.
Especially appropriate for preschoolers and their caregivers.
Child: Lying limply on the floor.
Mom: Um, taking a nap?
Child: No, it isn't. It's the over-cooked broccoli you sometimes make.
Finally, after numerous tries, the child becomes tired and falls asleep.
The story celebrates imaginative play and patient parental interaction.
This book is authentic to both the parent's and the child's perspectives, and may inspire the readers/listeners to guessing games of their own.
Especially appropriate for preschoolers and their caregivers.
September 12, 2021
Haha. The book shows well the heart of a child--wanting attention and to play with their parents.
I could really sense the desire of the child to interact with the Mom, which is what I enjoyed about the book. I probably felt the same way when I was little and did crazy things to get the attention/reaction of my Mom. And I definitely see the same overaction in children when I'm preoccupied around them. I guess there's something sentimental or a feeling of appreciation I have when I see children make an effort to be "loved." Even though love is unconditional and something children shouldn't have to work for.
I could really sense the desire of the child to interact with the Mom, which is what I enjoyed about the book. I probably felt the same way when I was little and did crazy things to get the attention/reaction of my Mom. And I definitely see the same overaction in children when I'm preoccupied around them. I guess there's something sentimental or a feeling of appreciation I have when I see children make an effort to be "loved." Even though love is unconditional and something children shouldn't have to work for.
February 1, 2025
Book 029 of 350 ~ 2025
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
So cute, and what a wonderful stretch of now far someone's imagination can go.
Adults just forget that sometimes...
#book029of350 #amreading #tbrpile #instareads #readstagram #reading #bookreview #bookreviewer #booklover #booksAreLife #booksForTheWin #thisbookfairyisreading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeature #bookshelf #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookworm #goodreads #booklovers #theSGbookfairyReads #theSGtrekkiereads #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookchallenge2025 #reviews #lovebooks #booknerds
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
So cute, and what a wonderful stretch of now far someone's imagination can go.
Adults just forget that sometimes...
#book029of350 #amreading #tbrpile #instareads #readstagram #reading #bookreview #bookreviewer #booklover #booksAreLife #booksForTheWin #thisbookfairyisreading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeature #bookshelf #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookworm #goodreads #booklovers #theSGbookfairyReads #theSGtrekkiereads #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookchallenge2025 #reviews #lovebooks #booknerds
Read
March 13, 2021This book is funny, but I definitely have reservations about books where kids antagonize adults for no good reason. This kid is being a kid (aka kind of a little stinker) and the adult seems really tired and sad. I don't know. Read Still Stuck instead.
Read
June 16, 2020What is it about you kids getting so much energy before bedtime? While us adults get sleepier by the second, you guys get busier, funnier and perhaps a little crazier. The girl in this month’s book thinks that a game of charades with her mum is much more fun than going to sleep and we think she might be right. Part picture book, part guessing game, this is a delightfully silly read.
February 16, 2021
In this book, a little girl is playing charades with her mom. Her mom cannot guess what/who the little girl is trying to be, but it's bedtime and the mom is also hoping the little girl will get tired.
Kids may have fun trying to guess what the little girl is pretending to be - and the answers are often surprising!
Kids may have fun trying to guess what the little girl is pretending to be - and the answers are often surprising!
April 19, 2021
Hilarious book about a parent losing their patience after many many many delays at bedtime, and a very creative child who has so many ideas and who (like many of us when we were younger) cannot understand why the parent can't keep up! Honest feelings from both parents and children.
Great as a guessing book too. Elicits laughter from all.
Great as a guessing book too. Elicits laughter from all.
April 28, 2021
A young child puts off bedtime by an elaborate series of charades where they pretend to be things around the house (well, and an alien every now and then) and beg mother to guess what they are. The mother tries to play along but grows somewhat tired and frustrated with the game!
This book's small size would make it excellent for lap sharing.
This book's small size would make it excellent for lap sharing.
April 21, 2022
Considering the climate of modern picture books, I figured this would be one of those hyper-empowering picture books (which are totally fine, but that's not what this book is about). The narrative is one long conversation between a kid and her mom before bedtime and it rocks. Lots of visual gags and simple-yet-effective absurdist humor that Yoshitake's proven to be a master at.
September 10, 2022
Mom's folding laundry and Natsumi wants to play. So to compromise, they play a kind of charades. Natsumi pretends to be a thing and mom has to guess. But mom's not very good, and Natsumi gets increasingly frustrated until she falls asleep.
Would be a fun guessing game book to read aloud (what is Natsumi now?).
Would be a fun guessing game book to read aloud (what is Natsumi now?).
January 18, 2021
Is this for kids or is it for tired parents? I can empathize with a mom who is exhausted by her child's imaginative play and lack of napping! It's nice to have a parent with real, honest emotions in a book for young kids. Why aren't there more?
Read
March 4, 2022The cover really appealed to me, and I thought it promised a tale of empowerment/courage, but I was wrong. I was disappointed, and the interactions between the girl and her mother made me uncomfortable for mysterious reasons I should probably unpack in therapy.
But I won't give it a poor rating, as it's probably great for its intended audience.
But I won't give it a poor rating, as it's probably great for its intended audience.
July 2, 2022
Buku ini lucu banget, cocok buat toddler usia 3-5 tahun. Ilustrasinya juga ok. Aku ngga bisa berhenti ketawa saat baca buku ini. Natsumi juga lucu dan imajinasinya.. wow out of the box (atau lebih ke nyeleneh) banget. Oh.. jawaban dari pose terakhir itu siput, kan?
January 20, 2024
My 70-something year old dad read this to me over a video call today. Delightful. I appreciated that they secretly give you the answer to the final riddle on the back cover of the book… excellent imaginative work from Yoshitake Shinsuke that both children and adults can enjoy, as always.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2024
A girl plays charades for her mother, but her creative ideas are too much for her mother to figure out. I found myself annoyed by the little girl. But the mom handled her well. I got a kick out of the mom's last question.
July 21, 2020
Funny, funny. Toddlers will love it. Built in action.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews