  | I will always be .. Author: Levington, Rebecca Gardyn | |
| Price: $24.48 | ||
Summary:
A little girl imagines all the possibilities of what she can be when she grows up, from an athlete to a scientist to a writer and other things in between.
| Illustrator: | Jomepour Bell, Rahele |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (05/15/25)
Booklist (04/01/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 01/20/2025 In confident, first-person prose, a child speaker celebrates their abundant potential, connecting skills and passions to possible future pathways including dancer, inventor, artist, baker, and more. Gardyn Levington’s joyful rhymes pinpoint the pleasure to be had in activity ("I wonder, wander, ponder,/ full of questions constantly./ I analyze and scrutinize/ each insect, rock, and tree"), and reiterative phrasing gestures toward the way enduring interests can become facets of identity: "I haven’t saved our planet... yet./ (Perhaps one day. We’ll see!)/ But still, I know, no matter what,/ I will always be...// a scientist." Texture and dimensionality emerge from Jomepour Bell’s busy artwork, which mingles paper- and photo-collage elements with inky drawings and digital techniques to create saturated images of life’s messy beauty, conveying a triumphant and inspiring energy throughout. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4-8. (Apr.) - Copyright 2025
Booklist - 04/01/2025 A happy, confident child cavorts across the pages of this upbeat picture book. What will she be when she grows up? As the narrative rolls along, aided by the text’s rhyming verses and energetic rhythm, she considers one career path after another while reassuring herself with the words “I will always be . . .” The ellipsis pauses the sentence, which ends differently each time. She will always be a dancer, inventor, artist, scientist, writer, athlete, baker, and so on, but best of all is her final answer: “me!” It’s reassuring to know that whatever her occupation, she will remain the same person. Levington uses page turns well for dramatically revealing each occupation, and kids will enjoy discovering the verbal and visual clues that will help them guess every new choice. Featuring digitally assembled ink drawings and photo collages, the illustrations’ expressive lines and vivid colors feature the girl imagining her future as a series of inviting options that build on her favorite pastimes. This picture book reads aloud well while offering an engaging starting place for primary-grade units on careers. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.
