



What Will You Be?
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
From Yamile Saied Méndez, acclaimed author of Where Are You From?, comes a stunning lyrical picture book that tells the story of one girl who is always asked a simple question: What will you be when you grow up?
“Méndez and Alizadeh create a balance between the abstract and concrete by letting the child imagine the future but with Abuela’s guidance and support. A sweet read to share with loved ones.” —Kirkus (starred review)
“Turning a common question of childhood into a substantive quest, this imaginative set of plans will have other children charting their own course through the stars.” —School Library Journal
What will you be when you grow up?
A young girl dreams about all the endless possibilities, sparking a sense of wonder, curiosity, and growth. With her abuela’s loving guidance, she learns her potential is limitless.
Yamile Saied Méndez’s powerful, lyrical text and Kip Alizadeh’s colorful, stunning art are a radiant celebration of family, love, and community.
A Spanish-language edition, ¿Qué Serás?, is also available.
A Kirkus Best Picture Book of the YearA Banks Street Best Children’s Books of the YearA Wisconsin State Reading Association’s 2022 Picture This Recommendation List




PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Astronaut, unicorn, and clown are a brown-skinned child's choices for what to be as an adult. But when a group of friends press, "No, what will you really be?" the child turns to comforting and creative Abuela, "who has been everything under the Sun and the Moon," about how to imagine possibilities for the future. Offering sound, loving advice, "Abuela points to my heart and says, ‘Listen.' " And a rainbow swirl of paint from Abuela's brush sweeps readers through pages of verdant outdoor scenes as the child envisions various futures as a builder, a dreamer, a farmer, a healer—taking pride in how each of those roles celebrates community, heritage, and family, and offering readers a greater understanding of the future's expansive possibilities. Ages 4–8.