Surprisingly successful STEM-minded look at careers, which includes them all from Musician to Urban Planner to Kinesiologist, and gives them all a similar limerick-styled verse about what they are about. Even chucking in multi-syllable names such as the ones featured here doesn't interrupt the rhythm of the verse, meaning it's all very readable, and we see the oh-so-inclusive characters putting their skills to use in fine visuals. This is both highly practical and definitely an artistic achievement, too, which probably makes it worth the highest marks. I couldn't once say I expected better, although perhaps some pronunciation guides might have helped out.

Here's my take on the review in a more personal tone:


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Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is a delightful and inclusive book that beautifully explores the timeless question every child asks: “What will I be when I grow up?” With a charming, easy-to-read-aloud rhyme scheme and vibrant, realistic illustrations, the book presents a variety of career paths in a way that’s memorable and engaging for young readers.

What I love most is that it doesn’t just focus on STEM careers; it also highlights roles in the arts and, to some extent, skilled trades, giving kids a broader view of possibilities. At the end, there’s even a section with career research questions for older children to dive deeper, making this a great resource for fostering curiosity.

I can’t wait for my cousin to grow up a little more so I can share this gem with him!

Libraries need this book in the collection. It's a beautifully illustrated alphabet book, with rollicking rhymes and diverse BIPOC representation. The children are all interested and curious about STEM-based careers, and the book gently encourages them to follow their dreams. Charming, and well executed.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

Such a great children's book it offers a wide range of jobs that are not your typical kids book features. There is also a nice about of diversity in the children displayed. There is also a great discussion questions at the end of the book.

This is a book to make young and old think about some of the careers available with education. Presented in an ABAB rhyme scheme with one career per letter of alphabet, such as astronaut, kinesiologist, laser tech, urban planner, and zoologist. There are career research questions at the end.
The illustrations by Anna Doherty are detailed, colorful, representative, and FUN!
Well suited for reading WITH someone of ANY age (not only 5 to 8) including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof copy in Adobe Digital Editions provided by Familius Books via NetGalley. Thank you! Avail Jul 01, 2025
#WhatWillIBeFromAtoZ by Laura Carter @MrsCarterWrites and @AnnaDohertyIllu @familiustalk #NetGalley #STEAM

In terms of informing and informing young ones about professions, this was a 5 star read.
In terms of diversity, this was a 5 star read.
As for the illustrations and the engagement, I wish there were a couple of nuanced touches, however, it was overall a perfect read and this is an important book with its representation. Kudos.

What a cute, bright, and fun alphabet story by Laura W Carter and Anna Doherty. My kiddos may not have noticed but I enjoyed the short rhyming poem with each letter of the alphabet. Not to mention all the fun illustrations that went along on each page, kept my kiddos engaged. :)

** Thank you NetGalley, Familius Publishing, and Laura Carter for the eARC copy of "What Will I Be? From A to Z".

Excellent Book for Children! This Covers the Letters of the Alphabet from A to Z and Each has a Unique Job a Child May not Have Heard of Before. I loved that the book shows Diversity, with how each child looks and Opens Minds to Possibilities. The Illustrations by Anna Doherty are Fantastic and Add to the Appeal of the Book. Loved Reading this Myself and Always Learn something New.

Thank you NetGalley, Laura Carter, and Familius for a Copy of this Book. I always leave Reviews for Books I Read.

Great book! There were two main aspects that I really liked, and two that didn't quite work for me.
1. Illustration diversity. The illustrations were so amazingly diverse that I believe young readers will be able to see themselves in this book. This is so good for little ones to see, as it allows them to connect more with their identity and know that there are others out there just like them. Bravo, illustrator!
2. Educational value. This book was very educational and I have no doubt that readers will be able to discover their dream job with this book. On top of that, the jobs were realistic, which is even better because it defeats any disappointment that may arise with a list of harder-to-obtain jobs.

So what didn't I like? Well:
1. Lack of job diversity. Majority of the jobs listed in this book were STEM related, and many kids aren't interested in STEM. Sure, some kids are, but to make this book more inclusive I would include some more art occupations or language-based jobs.
2. Advanced vocabulary. The terms used in the job descriptions might be a bit advanced for younger readers, and there will be a lot of questions that arise. However, it can potentially allow for a richer learning experience, so it's a bit of a double-edged sword.

Overall, though, I had a lot of fun reading this book, and I know that lots of kids will adore this book.

I love a good A-Z children's book and one in the STEAM field is even better! In my opinion, this book is best suited for slightly older kiddos (i.e. 5+), as the letters are not explicit in the pages and the language is on the more technical side. I loved the range of careers explored in this book and the rhyming and prose made it easy to read aloud. I also really liked the career research questions at the end, because I feel like they further help you explore. Finally, I think the pictures are great. They are well suited to the careers in which they cover, but they are also colorful and eye capturing, which will help hold the attention of little ones!

What Will I Be? From A to Z , an ABC book for children ages 5-8 - not your typical alphabet audience - and it's wonderful! Written by Laura Carter and illustrated by Anna Doherty, this is an excellent introduction to STEAM careers for primary grade children. It's full of beautiful illustrations, easy to read rhyming sentences, and covers everything from astronaut to zoologist. It even has career research questions to discuss with your young readers.

This would make a great addition to your home, classroom, or school library!

Firstly, a big thanks to the author, Laura Carter, the illustrator, Anna Doherty, the publisher, Familius, and NetGalley for the privilege of being able to read a digital copy of What Will I Be? From A to Z. I will share my review to Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble upon release. This children's picture book focuses on the eternal question that every child ponders: What will I be when I grow up? Each letter of the alphabet expresses a different career with a beautiful illustration. Some are very specific, like Java Developer or Urban Planner, which I thought was really interesting and gives kids a more specific and detailed example that they may have never found out about until they were much older. It's so cool for kids to have great representation in books like this, to make sure they can see themselves in such a role.

The cover is lovely, with illustrations of kids showing what will be in the book - more pictures of diverse children doing diverse activities. At the end, there is a list of questions to discuss with children about what they may have learned from the book in order to think deeper about jobs and careers. The questions are intended to help children develop an early plan for what life will look like if they want to follow a certain path. This can be helpful, as learning the path to take is half the battle sometimes. This book would make an amazing addition to any child's home library, to a school library or classroom, a church library, etc. Thanks again!

What Will I Be? From A to Z by author Laura W Carter and illustrator Anna Doherty is a lovely A-B-C book, with subject matter rarely seen in books for children.
Using an easy-to-read-aloud rhyming scheme and realistic yet beautiful illustrations, the book takes children through various career options they might not be exposed to, and describes those options concisely and in a fun manner that will stick in the child's head. Those career options aren't just what one would consider STEM either; the arts and, to a lesser extent, the trades are represented as well.
Carter and Doherty have also made the book's characters both multicultural and of each gender, subtly and powerfully making it clear that any child, regardless of ethnicity and gender, can aspire to any career they wish.
At the end of the book is an excellent feature - career research questions to help older children to look into different options open to them.
Well-written and beautifully illustrated, this is a book that parents will want to start reading to their child early and often.
Thank you to #FamiliusBooks and #NetGalley for the ARC of this wonderful book.

Having alphabet obsessed children this read was fun and prompted very silly conversations.
Including "Why isn't firefighters included in stem?" "What does an urban planner do?" and "How long is monster college?"

"What Will I Be? From A to Z" is a children's picture book written by Laura Carter and illustrated by Anna Doherty.

This book is for children interested in STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math, to introduce them to different careers in these fields. The audience is clearly focused on young girls and children of color. Even disabled children are represented. My only complaint is that there are such few boys that they are very underrepresented.

The illustrations are cartoons of children dressed in the uniforms of the people in the career. It's pretty cute and informative.

The text describes each career, such as Biologist, Graphic Designer, and Veterinarian, using a short rhyme.

I highly recommend this book for parents of young girls of any color.

Thank you to Netgalley, Familius, and Laura Carter for providing this e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I loves this book, and I know this book will be inspiring for many kids. Growing up there were very job paths that I was taught about, the typical ones like doctor and lawyer and teacher... but kinesiology or oncology or laser tech? I love that kids learn about so many different career paths now.

I definitely want a physical copy of this for my niece and other kids in my life.

Great book with wonderful illustrations and color scheme. I loved how it highlighted different careers such as urban planning and horticulturist. I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

Although I found the questions in the back a little intense, I found the book to be wonderful. It's the modern elevated career A-Z. It's pretty cool.

I was a preschool teacher for five years, and have a degree in Early Childhood, and this is a book each teacher should have. Its fantastic! Laura wrote an absolutely beautiful book. It was just precious. Highly recommend! Every preschool should have this book in it.

This is a very interactive book that kept my 3&4 year old interested the whole time! It was very educational as well as fun and easy to stay engaged until the end