Recommended for ages: 5 to 8

With beautiful illustrations and children of all skin colors, faiths, and abilities, this ABC book gives names to S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) career examples for every letter of the alphabet, in rhyme, from well-known careers like astronaut and engineer to lesser known ones like horticulturist and java developer. I especially loved the drawing of the children performing the work of these careers with toys that could help them practice the work they could later go on to do as adults.

What Will I Be from A to Z will be published July 1, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, Familius, Laura Carter, and Anna Doherty (illustrator) for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an adorable picture book that would be great for any story time. It will introduce children to a variety of different jobs and careers that are open to them, encouraging them to look to the future with hope and excitement. The rhyming format helps to make jobs with long, intimidating names easier to grasp and understand. Horticulturist? Kinesiologist? Explained in a more simple and approachable way. The illustrations are also quite charming! They feature such a wide array of diverse individuals. Those of different genders and ethnicities, or even “disabilities” can see themselves reflected in these different fields. A very empowering message for curious and impressionable young minds! The follow up discussion questions also provide a chance to dive deeper into any interests that were sparked.

Wonderful little alphabet book featuring a STEM based career for each letter of the alphabet, paired with fun rhymes. The illustrations are beautiful and I think this would be a great way to introduce small children to careers they likely have not heard of, all while reinforcing their understanding of the alphabet. This would be such a great book to read in elementary school classes leading up to Career Day.

Thank you to NetGalley, Familius, and Laura Carter for the eARC of this children's book!

I want to start by saying this truly is a very diverse children's book. Not only culturally but medically as well. It's rare that I see a book in general with a character in a wheelchair! Even the career choices are diverse, I would have never expected a children's book to contain such a range. We all know there are specific letters notorious for being difficult to find words for, and I am impressed that it didn't feel like there were any careers awkwardly thrown in to fit a letter prompt.
Every page of this book is engaging. From the rhyming aspect that makes reading this flow eloquently, down to the hidden letter find. This is a book I can see being read over and over again, as well as grow with the child for quite some time. You can tell thoughtful put together, from the career choices to the artwork, everything about this is beautifully inspiring.

Start them with STEAM

This is such a special book that even opened my eyes to new fields of STEAM that children have for career aspirations.

The book was illustrated well and I appreciate how they chose to show the characters taking their STEAM job seriously. I painted pictures of passion in their fields.

This book would make a great gift for a classroom preparing for/just after a career day to learn about other jobs that weren’t presented.

I received a copy of this book from Laura Carter and Familius. I have elected to leave a review. All opinions are my own.

This was a unique and insightful book about many different lines of work out there in many different fields including science, arts, medicine, and math. I liked how the author chose some lesser known professions that kids may not have already heard about or been exposed to before. The illustrations were well done and the information presented about each career was informative, interesting, and delivered in a cute rhyme that kids can understand. I enjoyed this and so did my kids! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

I loved this book of jobs kids can grow up to do. It is inclusive of all types of jobs from creative to stem from big to easier to obtain. I loved that it includes people in wheelchairs and multiple skin tones. I enjoyed the writing to with it's rhythmic style.

A wonderful picture book to introduce children to countless careers and professions in different fields, from medicine, art, sports and research to many more. The illustrations are beautiful and have calming color palettes! The characters show diversity. I really enjoyed this and learned a lot!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic book to get the little ones an insight on what wonderful things people do in our huge world as their passion and their means of livelihood.

My twins are 4 years old, so they are just starting to get the idea as to what people do, day in and day out, in their daily lives. This brought them a lot of clarity and information! They gulped all of it enthusiastically. The accompanying illustrations were very helpful too! It is a book that I would highly recommend to my friends and family.

Super cute. I’d love to read the hard copy to our kiddos. They enjoyed the alphabet and the artwork.

I thought that this book was great!!

I read the book with my daughter just after she had a Vocation Day at Primary School where people who hold different professions, such as Police Officer, Hairdresser, Chef, Beautician, NHS worker, Dentist came in to school for the kids to approach and ask questions.

This book covered some of the careers and occupations you would expect, and it was a nice touch as a mum to see that there were professions that were away from the norm and I loved that approach to show children that there are endless possibilities and jobs they could do that they might not have heard of before - this book could ignite that spark to encourage them to look. The book covers a diverse range of roles and makes it clear that ANY child can do ANY of the jobs too.

The illustrations in the book were perfect and helped to bring it all together.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - a must for any Primary School! Very highly recommended!

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.