9 Books to Gear Up for Take Your Child to Work Day
by Keith Rice
Children are endlessly fascinated by the things adults get up to. If your kiddo is anything like mine, they can’t get enough of toy kitchens, typewriters, and tools. The endless curiosity centered around any number of “grown-up” jobs makes for hours of entertaining and imaginative playtime. Picture books on various jobs and careers have always been a favorite for children and young readers. With Take Your Child to Work Day just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to take a look at a few favorites.
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Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day?
Available from:Richard Scarry’s Busytown is always a fun place to visit, and this classic picture book takes readers through the various jobs that keep Busytown humming. Readers will meet firefighters and farmers, doctors and construction workers, teachers and bus drivers, all illustrated with Richard Scarry’s vibrantly detailed style.
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Police Officers on Patrol
Available from:With its rhythmic text and colorful, kinetic illustrations, Police Officers on Patrol is sure to capture your child’s imagination. Joining Officer Mike and the gang is a fun way to help your kids understand what police officers do.
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The ABCs of What I Can Be
Available from:The ABCs of What I Can Be will open up a world of possibilities for your little one. With the added benefit of teaching the ABCs, this imaginative picture book introduces children to a wide selection of occupations, ranging from astronauts and archaeologists to beekeepers and chefs to oil riggers and Zumba instructors. There’s truly something here for everyone.
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Peppa Pig and the Career Day
This delightful picture book based on the beloved cartoon is a perfect way to introduce your little one to various jobs as they join Peppa and friends for Career Day. Whether it’s a train conductor or postal worker, teacher or firefighter, there’s plenty here to spark your child’s interest.
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The Berenstain Bears and Mama’s New Job
Available from:In this beloved classic, Mama opens a quilt shop to start selling her handmade quilts and must now find ways to balance her work and family time. It’s a perfect way to show your child it’s possible to turn a hobby into a career, as well as the importance of making time for family.
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The Donut Chef
Available from:This tale of rival donut chefs competing for customers with ever-more complicated offerings is an engaging and colorful way to encourage your little foodie’s interest in the culinary arts. The rhyming couplets and eye-catching geometric art make this a great read-aloud title as well.
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Curious About Zoo Vets
Available from:Is your child an animal-lover? Is the zoo one of his or her favorite places? This book is a perfect addition to your little one’s library and will take them inside the Smithsonian National Zoo for an up-close look at how the animals are cared for — as well as the zoo workers who keep them happy and healthy.
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Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do
Available from:This colorful picture book encourages critical thinking and is a great way to engage your child during a read-aloud session. Featuring clothes hanging on a clothesline, each outfit is tied to a specific career — like a chef’s apron and a toque or an artist’s smock and brushes — and the following page details each exciting job.
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Astronaut Handbook
In Astronaut Handbook, readers join four cadets undergoing training in astronaut school. It’s a nonfiction adventure that will give your child a peek into what it takes to become a real astronaut — including tests both mental and physical. And, of course, there’s a full spread dedicated to the infamous “Vomit Comet,” the plane NASA uses to simulate weightlessness.
