WHAT WILL I BE?
by Richard Sinclair & illustrated by Jon Lycett-Smith & developed by Digital Leaf
A cheery story tells children that they can be whatever they want to be.
Lewis sits on his father’s knee and wonders, “Of all the jobs that people have / I wonder what I’ll be.” With pleasant rhyming text, this storybook app shows the young boy imagining the many different careers ahead. From sailing the ocean to creating world-class pies, the world is full of possibilities. A clear option at the beginning of the app allows readers to hear the story with a young girl, Maddi, as the main character. (Both Lewis and Maddi appear Caucasian.) All of the illustrations change to reflect the young girl in the same roles as before. This option sends the message that girls and boys can be whatever they want to be, without any gender stereotyping. The buoyant illustrations, done with a digital watercolor effect, reflect the upbeat mood of the text. The narration, sound effects and navigation are well-executed, but the pages are sluggish on the page turn. Unfortunately, the interactive features focus on finding a dog hiding on each page, something completely unrelated to the content of the story.
Despite meaningless distractions, a happy story full of possibilities.
(iPad storybook app. 3-6)