May 102013
When I Grow Up
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http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/al-yankovic-when-i-grow-up/id443229618?mt=8Amazon Best Books of the Month, February 2011: Eight-year-old Billy gives a flamboyant show-and-tell presentation, reciting for the class and his hapless teacher Mrs. Krupp, all the professions he has in mind for his future. From master snail trainer to dinosaur-dusting museum curator, the possibilities he imagines are seemingly endless. Billy’s great-grandfather
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Al’s First Book,
It’s weird to see the author of this book listed as simply Al Yankovic. But, “Weird” or not, this is still the man who brought song parodies to the mainstream that we all know and love.
I’ve been a “Weird Al” fan since I was a kid and have planned on giving my child (born in July 2008) plenty of exposure to the world of Al as he grows up. So, I had to pick up the book the day it was published and bring it home and read it to my child.
At first glance, I love the illustrations (done by Wes Hargis) and the great photo of Al on the tricycle on the back. It’s a nice, big “storytellers”-sized book, so you can sit with your child (or by yourself) and read it with great, full-page illustrations and a nice, big font size. It also doesn’t skimp on the words. I’ve seen some of my kid’s books where there’s only 1 or 2 sentences per page, which is fine in its own way, but I’m a fan of the book lasting more than 5 seconds when I’m reading it to my son.
As far as the story, it’s the story of Billy’s day at school when show-and-tell’s theme is “When I grow up, what am I gonna be?” Billy is VERY enthusiastic about sharing all of the thoughts that fill his head when posed with this question and goes the length of the book describing the world of possibilities of all of the awesome things he can dream of doing when he gets older. These include a chef (albeit one who uses some interesting ingredients… Twinkies au Gratin?!?!), a Giraffe Milker, and many, many more, with a great closing thought that definitely fits in the mind of a child like Billy.
The wordplay that Yankovic employs is quite creative, actually. Each line rhymes with the next, and that’s a fine attribute for the minds of younger children to keep their ears working and even cause some laughter in the process because of the humor of all of the zany things that Billy proposes. As much as I love this about the book, it might be its only downfall. I don’t know that the average child can read this book by him/herself and a) understand it all and b) get through some of the vocabulary. For a parent reading to a child, which is how I plan on using Al’s book, I think it is absolutely a must-have. But, I don’t know that my son will be able to read it and stay interested in it by himself. At least not yet. Although, again, I feel the illustrations definitely accompany, and even enhance, the story to this point.
In the end, I recommend picking this book up. If you’re a big “Weird Al” fan, you probably have it already or are planning on getting it already. If you’re looking for something for your child(ren) that you can read with them, I suggest you pick this up. Al is exhaustingly family-friendly in both his book and his music, which you might want to look into as well. He’s a very nice, very funny, and very talented person in an entertainment industry that I find lacking creativity. This book just strengthens my opinion on that.
PS – I just bought and read the book a few hours before writing this review. I will be reading it to my child for the first time tonight. I will post any major reaction he has to it before the week is over.
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|Never a let down when it comes to Al Yankovic,
For as long as I remember I have been a fan of Al Yankovic. I have always had the utmost respect for him and considered him to be a lyrical genius. I am now 37 years old and have two daughters of my own, 8 and 5 years old. I have had a great time introducing his music to them. It’s so refreshing to be able to play up-beat, tolerable, HYSTERICAL music around my kids, without having to worry about having an uncomfortable talk with them about the lyrics. My girls ask to hear his music everyday, which is fine with me! I have taught the young grasshoppers well. Anyway enough about his music, this is about his book! Woo-hoo!
I purchased 3 copies through Amazon, one for each kid (including me). I bought one at B&N because I couldn’t wait, plus I figured my kids’ school library could use a copy.
I absolutely love this book. So do my kids. Perhaps we are a bit partial, but who cares? The dialogue flows good and is fun to read. I’ve always loved reading to my kids, and I’m good at changing up my voice to go along with the moods and characters. This was perfect for that. Some of the vocabulary is a little above their heads but hey, that’s what us parents are here for right? The occupations he comes up with are so creative. I love the Snail part the best. The illustrations are amazing and there are a lot of little details to notice in the pictures. Hint: Make sure you look really close at all of the kids in the cafeteria.
Mostly I like the message. So many adults push to put a career label on kids way too soon. Whether they expect their kids to follow in their own footsteps, or they are trying to live vicariously through their child with stuff they weren’t able to accomplish for themselves. As “Billy” puts it in the book “cut me some slack”. Let kids be kids, and figure out for themselves what will make them happy.
As usual, Al Yankovic not only meets but exceeds my expectations. He seems to have a never-ending ability to create brilliant writing, whether it be his lyrics or dialogue. He is the nicest, most decent celebrity figure out there. He is SO much more than the “Eat It” guy. I am so happy for him for the success he has had, and so rightly deserves with his career. I wish him nothing but the best.
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|Good rhythm, fun read,
Good book, the kids enjoyed it. some of the words are a little big, but it’s also a really fun read.
My kids are 16 months through 4 1/2 years.
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