Perfect Picture Book Friday Goes Job Hunting

This Perfect Picture Book Friday, my book choice could be the key to helping a child choose their future job!

When my daughter was about five, she wanted to become an apple farmer. However, after Googling apple farming, the job description changed her plans. “Instead of growing apples, I’ll just eat them,” she said. Although I was certain that eating the crop wouldn’t generate a good income stream, I didn’t burst her dream bubble. The following year, after winning a dressmaking doll kit at a school carnival, she changed her career path to fashion design, which led to some fabulous outfits she created with fabrics I’d collected over the years. Unfortunately, her creations were a tad too extravagent to wear in the third grade. Along the way, other career ideas popped up, like becoming a mask maker in Venice after she discovered the joy of pasting pom poms and feather on paper plates, a violinst so she could play pretty music on one of the violins her grandfather made, a picture book illustrator when I started on my path of writing stories and poems for children, a Montessori teacher, a physical therapist, a medical researcher, a chef. It turns out the world is filled with amzing jobs, and choosing one that’s the best fit isn’t always simiple.

Many years have passed, and my daughter will be starting college soon. Who knows what career path she’ll choose, but whatever direction she takes, I’ll encourage her dreams and believe in her. This brings me to today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday Review of a book that contains some pretty interesting jobs, including some I never knew existed.

Title – Incredible Jobs You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of

Written and illustrated by  –  Natalie Labarre

Published by – Nosy Crow, 2019

Suitable for ages – 4-8

Opening – Do you know what you want to do when you grow up? I bet you get asked that a lot, right? You might already have one of these jobs in mind–The Classics! (doctor, lawyer, farmer, teacher, chef, athlete, pilot) And these are great… but did you know that there are ALL SORTS of incredible jobs out there that you’ve probably never heard of? One of them might be just right for you!

High-rise window washers need more than a ladder to reach these windows. They work suspended in midair as high as 1,000 feet (300 meters) up — except when it’s too windy!

For the most expensive beef in the world, Cow Massagers in Japan make sure their cows are as relaxed as possible by giving them regular massages.

Why do I like this book? — I wasn’t sure what jobs I would learn about when I saw this book, but I promise I didn’t expect to find occupations such as Mattress Jumper or Cheese Sculptor. And if those jobs aren’t unique enough, how about Toy Breaker or Dinosaur Duster? The comical and colorful illustrations pair perfectly with the unexpected jobs described throughout the book. In no time, kids will tap into their amazing imaginations and get excited about new jobs that could exist in the future.

Until next Friday,

Leslie