When I Grow Up, I Will Win the Nobel Peace Prize

by Isabel Pin, Nancy Seitz (Translator)

The boy in this book is having trouble admitting - much less closing - the large gap between his aspirations and his everyday actions. This boy knows that when he's older he will love his neighbor, but for now he's all too happy to pick on his sister. This boy even knows that one day he will be given the Nobel Peace for standing up to bullies, helping the poor, protecting animals and the environment - for all his good deeds. But with his bold claims continually contrasted by pictures that tell a very different story, even this boy eventually has to admit it's time to stop boasting and take the first step.
 
With cheeky artwork that offers a great big reality check to the high-minded protagonist, this book uses humor to underscore the importance - and the difficulty - of trying to live up to our own ideals.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2006

Reviews

[Maria Rowe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a curious book. I didn’t notice immediately that the pictures are the opposite of the words. And then when I noticed that, I thought it was an interesting concept. But towards the end of the book, I couldn’t get the illustrations out of my head and just ended with a feeling that getting the Nobel Peace Prize isn’t a big deal and you don’t really need to be a good or kind person to get one. Which isn’t at all what the book is trying to say, but pictures are worth a thousand words.

I want something more. I would’ve liked to see the same images again, but with the behavior fixed. So the book how it is, then all the pages again but with kind and good behavior in a reserve order. If the images were reversed, then maybe it would be like he was thinking of being mean, but instead he was kind… I don’t know. I just don’t like how it ended. This book has a lot of potential but this feels like a rough draft.

[Joshua Maret · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely, positively, the dullest, most pointless book I’ve read in a long while. Illustrations: also terrible.

[Juan Carlos malik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro para niños con hermosas ilustraciones que enseña a los más pequeños las pequeñas acciones buenas que mejoran la convivencia y la sociedad en la que vivimos

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

A child thinks about all of the good things he'll do when he grows up, which will lead him to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. In between, he is shown doing the opposite of those things. By the end, though, he does get started by treating his sister(?) better. Before I got what was happening in that last picture, I thought that the story was mocking idealism, but from the flap copy it sounds like the actual point was that it's hard to know how to begin working toward one's aspirations. In that case, it's a bit better--not just a Germanic tale of despair, haha. There's just something about German children's literature that tends toward dark humor... anybody ever read Struwwelpeter?

[Josianne Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for the text, 4 stars for the illustrations, 3 stars for the disconnect between text and stars. I get that that disconnect provides room for discussion with children, but children might not on their own.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

random acts of kindness!

[Peggy]

extreme disconnect between text and illustrations...must see both to get the real theme

[Carrie Gelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The simple and oh so difficult point, when do we start being the person we think we should be? When do we begin to make change?