When I Grow Up…

The Aquanaut
Written by Jill Heinerth & Illustrated by Jaime Kim
Age Level: 4-7 Years
Published January 19, 2021

Career Day just got more interesting.

“More people have walked on the moon than have been to some of the remote places I have discovered right here on our water planet.”

Growing up, author Jill Heinerth wanted to be an astronaut. She was thrilled by the idea of traveling into the unknown and exploring uncharted territory. She was excited about discovering new worlds and meeting new friends. She wanted to know what it felt like to fly, to exist as another creature, to thrive in a different environment.

Heinerth fulfilled all of her childhood dreams, but she does it right here on Earth. She is a cave diving aquanaut and an underwater explorer! Her incredible experiences are captured in absolutely stunning illustrations by Jaime Kim, which bring the story’s very simple text to life in a magical and vivid way.

In addition to introducing children to an awesome job, I really like the way it encourages children to think about their future career choices. The little girl in the story talks about what intrigues her, what she’s passionate about, what her values are, and what qualities she would need to possess to do her job well. It’s sound and thoughtful guidance that should lead our children on a path to happiness.