Work It: 5 Picture Books About Jobs

Rosie Revere, Engineer, by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
My parent friends ALL adore this book, particularly those who are a little tired of the whole princess craze. Rosie is always coming up with wacky and creative inventions, and she wants to be a great engineer someday. When one of her inventions fails, Rosie gets frustrated. But with a little encouragement and some wise words from her great-great-aunt Rose (who just happens to be the fabulous Rosie the Riveter), she just might reach her goal. “Life might have its failures, but this was not it. The only true failure can come if you quit.” A great lesson for all of us! (And if you have an aspiring architect in your midst, don’t miss Iggy Peck, Architect.)

Fireman Fred, by Lynn Rowe Reed
I think one of the most popular childhood aspirations is to grow up to be a firefighter. Firefighters get to save the day, ride on a cool truck, and wear a snazzy fireman’s hat! What’s not to love? In this brightly illustrated picture book, we get to follow along with Fred the fireman as he helps a lady escape a burning house, rescues a cat from a tree, and maybe even picks up a stray pet dog along the way. (Further reading for young firefighter fans can be found here!)

Let’s Meet a Police Officer, by Gina Bellisario and Cale Atkinson
This fun series explores all sorts of “community helper” jobs, from Let’s Meet a Librarian to Let’s Meet a Doctor. In this book, we meet Officer Gabby, who explains to the class what she does. An informative read with some important lessons for kids to learn as well, from don’t talk to strangers to standing up against bullying. A glossary and extra assignments at the end make for additional material, which is particularly helpful for a classroom teacher.

Service Dogs, by Jessica Rudolph
I bet your child never thought about dogs having jobs, but some do! They’re called service dogs, and you can learn all about them in this nonfiction picture book, filled with plenty of adorable color photographs of service pups. You learn how some service dogs let their deaf handlers know when the doorbell rings, or how they can help people in wheelchairs. And did you know that some service dogs know as many as 90 commands? Now that’s one smart pooch! To learn more about service dogs, try Tuesday Tucks Me In, the beautiful story of a loyal golden retriever who works as a service dog for a military veteran.

Take Your Mama to Work Today, by Amy Reichert and Alexandra Boiger
This is a sweet picture book about a precocious girl named Violet who loves going to her mother’s office as much as I did. She gives other kids hilarious advice on how to behave and be helpful for Take Your Child to Work Day. (“Grown-ups love it when kids push the elevator buttons for them.”) Violet’s enthusiasm is contagious, and after this book don’t be surprised if your child wants to make their own business cards and punch in for a day at the office.
What are your favorite picture books about jobs?