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Little Critter
When I Get Bigger
When Little Critter gets older, what exciting adventures will he have?
Little Critter imagines all of the exciting things he'll do when he gets bigger. Going to the store, staying up late, having a job and much more! What will your child envision when they get bigger?
Mercer Mayer's Little Critter stories, which address all the major issues of growing up, are perennial favorites for generations of readers, both young and old!
Little Critter imagines all of the exciting things he'll do when he gets bigger. Going to the store, staying up late, having a job and much more! What will your child envision when they get bigger?
Mercer Mayer's Little Critter stories, which address all the major issues of growing up, are perennial favorites for generations of readers, both young and old!
24 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1983
About the author
Mercer Mayer
722 books762 followersMercer Mayer is an American children's author and illustrator. He has published over 300 books, using a wide range of illustrative styles. Mayer is best known for his Little Critter and Little Monster series of books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
April 30, 2019
A beginning story. I feel like Mercer Mayer basically took my nephew and put him into the story. It’s so interesting.
Critter imagines all the things he can do when he’s bigger and it all sounds great to him. Yet, in the end he is happy to go to bed. The difference between the nephew and critter is my nephew never wants to sleep. It is rarely voluntary. That is how you know he is sick.
I’m loving these. The kids thought this story was more flat. The niece yawned and gave it 2 stars while the nephew gave it 3 stars. I guess it is a little above them, but they both like this series.
Critter imagines all the things he can do when he’s bigger and it all sounds great to him. Yet, in the end he is happy to go to bed. The difference between the nephew and critter is my nephew never wants to sleep. It is rarely voluntary. That is how you know he is sick.
I’m loving these. The kids thought this story was more flat. The niece yawned and gave it 2 stars while the nephew gave it 3 stars. I guess it is a little above them, but they both like this series.
May 15, 2024
My boys loved these books... they perfectly capture different moments in the pre-school set's lives... and finding common ground with these little critter friends was always an added bonus for us!
December 8, 2020
I bought this book for my boys when they were little. Both are now in their 40s. Now my three and a half year old grandson is loving it!
December 20, 2018
My student enjoyed this story.
"Spend some time with Little Critter's little sister as she imagines all the things she can be when she grows up in Mercer Mayer's classic, funny, and heartwarming book. Whether she's dreaming of becoming a lion tamer, a famous doctor, or a brave pilot, both parents and children alike will relate to this beloved story. A perfect way to teach children to reach for the sky!"
"Spend some time with Little Critter's little sister as she imagines all the things she can be when she grows up in Mercer Mayer's classic, funny, and heartwarming book. Whether she's dreaming of becoming a lion tamer, a famous doctor, or a brave pilot, both parents and children alike will relate to this beloved story. A perfect way to teach children to reach for the sky!"
January 5, 2012
Through my blog, I have confessed my recent fascination of children’s books. So when I scoured a nearby bookshop and found an old picture book, When I get bigger by Mercer Mayer, I decided to buy it. It is my first Little Critter book, which was previously owned by a certain Madison, as indicated in "This book belongs to". I didn’t have many owned books as a child. I grew up with school textbooks and borrowed books from the library, and even those borrowed books were often always related to schoolwork.
As I have limited experience with children’s books, I will try my best to give the review I think the book deserved. For starters, I found that When I get bigger by Mercer Mayer, a Golden Look-Look Book, is not just for kids but also for adults. It is for kids to be reminded of the things that they are not yet supposed to do at a very young age; and at the same time, it is for adults to be reminded of how simple and joyful a child’s life is.
Based on Amazon, this colorfully- and clearly-illustrated book received mixed reviews. For me, I agree with one reviewer who described the book as a “universal story”. Little children wants to do many things but there are certain things they cannot do yet without the guidance of an adult. But that does not mean children cannot dream, right? When I get bigger captures that reality. It listed 14 things that children most likely saw their adults doing and want to do them, too.
Somehow, the book also shows a sad reality. We adults are so used to doing the routine that we forget the joy we once felt when we first did a task on our own, such as “having my own watch and...telling everyone what time it is”. This scenario reminds me of the line by Epicurus, “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for”.
Anyway, in the book, one of the things the Little Critter wants to do is, “I’ll wait until the light is green. Then I’ll look both ways for cars before I cross the street”. This tells children that at their young age, they cannot cross the street yet without parental guidance. My favorite line is, “At the playground, I’ll help the little kids on the swings,” which, for me, highlights the admirably natural trait of children to help.
I should emphasize on the word “guidance”. While I recommend this book for little kids around six to seven years old, this book should be read and explained well by adults to avoid children growing up with misconceptions.
I stamped this with five stars!
As I have limited experience with children’s books, I will try my best to give the review I think the book deserved. For starters, I found that When I get bigger by Mercer Mayer, a Golden Look-Look Book, is not just for kids but also for adults. It is for kids to be reminded of the things that they are not yet supposed to do at a very young age; and at the same time, it is for adults to be reminded of how simple and joyful a child’s life is.
Based on Amazon, this colorfully- and clearly-illustrated book received mixed reviews. For me, I agree with one reviewer who described the book as a “universal story”. Little children wants to do many things but there are certain things they cannot do yet without the guidance of an adult. But that does not mean children cannot dream, right? When I get bigger captures that reality. It listed 14 things that children most likely saw their adults doing and want to do them, too.
Somehow, the book also shows a sad reality. We adults are so used to doing the routine that we forget the joy we once felt when we first did a task on our own, such as “having my own watch and...telling everyone what time it is”. This scenario reminds me of the line by Epicurus, “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for”.
Anyway, in the book, one of the things the Little Critter wants to do is, “I’ll wait until the light is green. Then I’ll look both ways for cars before I cross the street”. This tells children that at their young age, they cannot cross the street yet without parental guidance. My favorite line is, “At the playground, I’ll help the little kids on the swings,” which, for me, highlights the admirably natural trait of children to help.
I should emphasize on the word “guidance”. While I recommend this book for little kids around six to seven years old, this book should be read and explained well by adults to avoid children growing up with misconceptions.
I stamped this with five stars!
December 2, 2012
This is a great book to use in Kindergarten. It talks about all the things you can do when you are grown up. Although the things he wants to do a kind of silly, like go the 1st grade or make a phone call by himself, you can have your class think about what they want to do when they grow up and can talk about what their parents do.
March 7, 2019
This is a sweet book that nicely captures what a child may feel about being grown-up, and all the fun they can imagine that grown-ups have (because who of us has NOT been there as a kid?) This is an excellent book, but an adult should be on hand to discuss this book with the reader to offer a more balanced view.
December 1, 2020
از کتابهای آموزش مهارتهای زندگی، انتشارات نردبان
در ایران هشت جلد کتاب اصلی در دو جلد منتشر شده است.
با نام "کریکتر کوچولو" یک و دو
در ایران هشت جلد کتاب اصلی در دو جلد منتشر شده است.
با نام "کریکتر کوچولو" یک و دو
November 4, 2018
Summary: "When I Get Bigger" is about a young boy that imagines all the things he will get to do when he grows up and gets bigger. Some of the stuff he talks about is funny, and some are more serious. He notes that when he grows up he will be able to spend his allowance on anything he wants (and in the picture, it shows the boy eating candy), and then it also says that he will go on a bus to grandma and grandpas. He also gives examples as he will go to 1st grade, and start making money on his paper route. Throughout the story, it gives several examples of what the boy wants to do when he gets bigger that are relatable to other kids. At the end of the story, the boy says he has to go to bed because his parents tell him that he is not bigger yet.
My thoughts: I liked this book a lot. I think I liked "I'm sorry" by Mercer Mayer better, but I still thought this one was good. I really liked these books as a kid, and I think kids would still like them in my class. The illustrations are also really cute and simple. It is an easy book to follow along to kids, and it gives a good message about how kids will be able to decide things more when they get older. I think that a lot of thoughts the boy had in this book are relatable to kids. I remember wanting to grow up and do "big kid" things when I was younger.
In my classroom: I would read this to my class if they were in kindergarten or younger. Some of them are probably facing the same challenges the boy in the story is facing. They want to grow up and do "big kid" things, but for now, they have a bedtime and have to listen to their parents. I think that my students would like this book and think it is relatable and funny. I could also make an activity out of this, asking my students what are five different things they want to be able to do when they get bigger. This sets the idea of children making "goals" for themselves that are important.
My thoughts: I liked this book a lot. I think I liked "I'm sorry" by Mercer Mayer better, but I still thought this one was good. I really liked these books as a kid, and I think kids would still like them in my class. The illustrations are also really cute and simple. It is an easy book to follow along to kids, and it gives a good message about how kids will be able to decide things more when they get older. I think that a lot of thoughts the boy had in this book are relatable to kids. I remember wanting to grow up and do "big kid" things when I was younger.
In my classroom: I would read this to my class if they were in kindergarten or younger. Some of them are probably facing the same challenges the boy in the story is facing. They want to grow up and do "big kid" things, but for now, they have a bedtime and have to listen to their parents. I think that my students would like this book and think it is relatable and funny. I could also make an activity out of this, asking my students what are five different things they want to be able to do when they get bigger. This sets the idea of children making "goals" for themselves that are important.
May 6, 2017
When I Get Bigger by Mayer Mercer is under the genre Children’s Literature as a picture book. It is intended for an audience ages three to seven years. This story is about a Little Critter who imagines the many things he will do one day – when he’s bigger. I rated the book When I Get Bigger by Mayer Mercer five stars because I absolutely love this book for young readers. This story has a tone of humor and irony as the Little Critter images the many things he would like to do, but isn’t big enough to do them. The illustrations seen on each page also displays plenty of humor as we see the Little Critter imaging his future self – he is dressed in a shirt, slacks, and tie, and gets to experience the many things he enjoys like eating candy, staying up late, and helping others. This book is appealing to younger readers because this story is relatable – facing the daily struggles of doing what you want to do versus doing things you’re told to do. When I Get Bigger also inspires children to think about their future - who they want to be and what they want to do when they grow up!
November 10, 2018
This is another wonderful book by Mercer Mayer! In this book, children can explore ideas about what they want to become when they grow up! This book takes children on a journey through many different possibilities for their future. When I get bigger is a journey into the future that takes place during a shared reading lesson right in the classroom. The discussions that come out of sharing this book are priceless. Listening as children discuss some ideas prior to reading the book, and then comparing their answers after the reading demonstrates how this book generates great conversations. The excitement and enthusiasm in the classroom is powerful!
This book is great to use for a writing lesson. I read this book to my kindergarten class, and the stories that they told afterwards were amazing! We discussed our ideas with our partners, and then shared with the class, after sharing, we went to the writing center and created a story of our own about what we want to be when we get bigger!
This book is great to use for a writing lesson. I read this book to my kindergarten class, and the stories that they told afterwards were amazing! We discussed our ideas with our partners, and then shared with the class, after sharing, we went to the writing center and created a story of our own about what we want to be when we get bigger!
December 4, 2012
This is an adorable story by Mercer Mayer about a kindergarten student. Throughout the story, he discusses all the things he is going to do when he gets bigger. The story has a pattern that is very repetitive, so young readers will be able to follow along. The illustrations are very bright, detailed, and fun.
This would be a great book to use for read alouds in an early elementary school classroom. Students could even do an activity after the read aloud where they write or draw about what they want to do when they get bigger. Students would like this book because they can relate to many of the things that the narrator talks about. This book would be fun to read in class, and I would enjoy doing activities based on it.
This would be a great book to use for read alouds in an early elementary school classroom. Students could even do an activity after the read aloud where they write or draw about what they want to do when they get bigger. Students would like this book because they can relate to many of the things that the narrator talks about. This book would be fun to read in class, and I would enjoy doing activities based on it.
April 27, 2012
This is another Little Critter book that every kid can relate to. This story is about the little critter who wanted to grow up and do everything that he believes adults do. For example he could stay up late, make his own money, take the bus by himself and pick out his own shoes. The story ends with the little critter having to listen to his parents and go to bed because he’s not bigger yet. The illustrations portray the little critter doing all of these “big kid” activities with much detail and many water colors. I think this book is great for all Kindergarteners!
November 19, 2011
i love the art!
but this little monster is out of date. when he gets bigger i don't think he'll have a watch (he'll use his cell phone), or a boom box (ipod), rollerskates (inline maybe, or part of his regular shoes), paper route (daddy what's a newspaper?), or dial the phone (dial?). and since i know what all those are, i'm old.
but this little monster is out of date. when he gets bigger i don't think he'll have a watch (he'll use his cell phone), or a boom box (ipod), rollerskates (inline maybe, or part of his regular shoes), paper route (daddy what's a newspaper?), or dial the phone (dial?). and since i know what all those are, i'm old.
September 12, 2017
While i've read books by Mercer Mayer before, i hadn't read this one! As usual, it was delightful and the pictures are brilliant.
February 23, 2018
Pre-first grade Little Crittter dreams of all the things he will do when he gets bigger. In the meantime, he has to go to bed.
August 9, 2024
نمیدونم الان بچهها از ابن مجموعه خوششون میاد یا نه، اما به کتابهام اضافهشون میکنم چون برام نوشتالژیکه، و جالب بود که بعد از اینهمه سال تکتک جزئیات تصویرسازیهاش رو یادم بود. :)
March 4, 2009
Author: Mercer Mayer
Genre: Fiction Picture Book
Year Published: 1983
Reading Level: Early
Topic/theme: Future, age, being young, abiding by "rules" of childhood
Classroom Uses: Read Aloud, Individual Reading
Text and Illustrations: The text goes along with the images. There is no text without a correlating image. This makes the book easier to read.
Summary: Litter Critter describes the things he'll the do when he gets bigger.
Literary Devices: Personification, humor
Genre: Fiction Picture Book
Year Published: 1983
Reading Level: Early
Topic/theme: Future, age, being young, abiding by "rules" of childhood
Classroom Uses: Read Aloud, Individual Reading
Text and Illustrations: The text goes along with the images. There is no text without a correlating image. This makes the book easier to read.
Summary: Litter Critter describes the things he'll the do when he gets bigger.
Literary Devices: Personification, humor
March 6, 2013
This is a really fun book. Mercer Mayer always does a great job of including wonderful, captivating illustrations and clever stories in his books. In this one, Little Critter imagines all of the things he can do when he grows up or gets a little older. It would be fun to discuss with students/children what their current aspirations are for when they get a little bigger and for when they are adults. I can see many activities stemming from this one fascinating story.
February 4, 2012
Most of Mayer's books that I have are about this little critter spending time with someone in his family but this time he is thinking about what he would do when he grows up. This can make a good discussion with children about what would they do when they grow up and become old enough to do things on their own.
June 30, 2008
Good story, though dated. I don't think I'll let my kids go to the corner store by themselves, nor take a trip to their grandparents by themselves.
April 12, 2018
GRL: K
DRA: 18
DRA: 18
October 31, 2018
Good for kindergarten standards on when I grow up.
November 9, 2018
Shallow. I like the idea of what-ifs and then the end of going to bed, but the bulk of it was about stuff and having this or that.
March 11, 2019
A bit dated, back to a child taking a bus to Grandma's alone, and a dial phone.
May 19, 2020
This book shows us all the things Little Critter is going to do when he gets bigger. But right now he has to go to bed because he isn't bigger yet.
December 22, 2022
We do a book advent in December and this was the latest surprise under our little book tree. I love collecting this series because it reminds me of my own childhood. The boys love the stories are the perfect length for adhd attention spans, engaging pictures and stories.
This one talks about all the things little critter would like to do when they are grown. It has a very age appropriate spin on adult life & choices. At end the critter knows he’s not grown I yet so for now he needs to follow rules & go to bed. My boys were all ready for bed & cheerful about it after this story. They cheerfully gave hugs, kisses & went off to bed. Even the toddler seemed to understand and didn’t fuss about going. Which is always a win! This is going on the shelf with the rest of our picture book series.
This one talks about all the things little critter would like to do when they are grown. It has a very age appropriate spin on adult life & choices. At end the critter knows he’s not grown I yet so for now he needs to follow rules & go to bed. My boys were all ready for bed & cheerful about it after this story. They cheerfully gave hugs, kisses & went off to bed. Even the toddler seemed to understand and didn’t fuss about going. Which is always a win! This is going on the shelf with the rest of our picture book series.
May 1, 2023
"When I Get Bigger" by Mercer Mayer is a sweet and imaginative story about a young critter's dreams of growing up and all the exciting things they will do in the future, brought to life through delightful illustrations that capture the child's boundless imagination. This book is a great reminder for young readers to embrace their dreams and enjoy the present moment, while also looking forward to the future with excitement and wonder.
I really enjoy these books. I would love to have a collection in my classroom. I think they are so cute and fun but also teach a lesson which is perfect for young children.
I really enjoy these books. I would love to have a collection in my classroom. I think they are so cute and fun but also teach a lesson which is perfect for young children.
Read
November 14, 2020In this book it talks a lot about what a child wants to do when they grow up. A lot of children want to grow up fast so they can start doing what they want and play by their own rules. They have a lot of big dreams and expectations that they want to meet. This book was about a child who wants to grow up and do great things. Just like any other child, everyone has dreams.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews