What Are My Jobs? (My World). Bobbie Kalman. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2010. 16 pp., pbk. & hc., $6.95 (pbk.), $15.16 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-9478-3 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-9434-9 (RLB.). Subject Headings: Chores-Juvenile literature. Housekeeping-Juvenile literature. Preschool-grade 1 / Ages 3-6. Review by John Dryden. ***½ /4

excerpt:

My parents both work. They do many jobs at home, too. I help my parents by doing jobs around the house. I like caring for our pets.

Bobbie Kalman's "My World" series explores the jobs (read chores) that children could help out with at home. The book follows a familiar 'guided reading' look in that there is a "words to know" section at the front and a repetitive text pattern in the book. There is also a guided reading level suggested on the back. For those of you taking notes, this title is rated "E."

      The book's photos are excellent and help the reader find the intended meaning. The children look extremely happy in their work, demonstrating that helping parents is rewarding work. I can personally attest that the book had a positive spinoff as my six-year-old zipped around the house making all the beds and tidying the floors up (granted this happened only once and has not occurred since).

      There are two points of concern that I would have, one being more serious than the other: 1. The price point of these books for their intended guiding reading purpose may be prohibitive for those who are not directly benefitting from natural gas royalties ($15. plus per copy in hardcover - works out to about a buck per page). 2. The children depicted in the photographs are disturbingly happy in their helpfulness. I worry that children who then try to help around their respective houses would feel duped by the happy models in the books (perhaps a lesson in false advertising?).

Highly Recommended.

John Dryden is a BC classroom teacher who is looking for more help with household jobs.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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