When I’m Older

When I’m Older by Neil Flory
Illustrated by Somak Chaudhary
Published by Allen & Uwin
Date: May 2018
R.R.P. $19.99

 
I remember when I was young I imagined often what I wanted to be when I got older, while it changed many times over the years, just the freedom to imagine was enough.  Neil Flory has beautifully captured the imagination of children in his book When I’m Older that I found to be a whimsical adventure of nostalgia and acceptance of being unique.

When I’m older…

OR

Or so many other things.

What I really love about this book is that Neil doesn’t talk about being a teacher, businesswomen, doctor or ballerina; he talks about being a goat, a penguin in a coat and anything else you wouldn’t normally imagine being when you grow up.  These silly yet wonderfully imaginative words, combined with the talented Somak Chaudhary and his creativity with clay make for a really fun story.  This book is a reminder that the imagination of a child is something special, a place we often leave behind way to early.  I am glad that Neil has celebrated this wonderful place and is encouraging children to think beyond the norm.

This book would be perfect to read to a group of children and the ideas that come from them would be amazing and the laughs infectious.  The simplicity of the book makes it easy to read, but given the child like writing would not be ideal for learning to read.

So before I get any older I plan on sharing this book with as many people as I can, which I hope inspires everyone to encourage children to be as free and whimsical in their imagination of what they want to be someday…or even today.

Thank you Allen & Unwin for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book.