From Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-A 1950s or `60s retro color scheme gives this book a nostalgic look. "Mo and Joe watched the rain, waiting for the sun./They couldn't play outside today, which wasn't very fun." But of course, the brother and sister find plenty to keep them busy as they imagine all the exciting things they will do when they are big, even when it rains. They proceed to dream and play at all sorts of occupations: scientist, diver, hairdresser, race-car driver, etc. Double-page spreads feature four rhyming lines of text and a small illustration of Mo or Joe and what they are playing with while an overhead bubble shows the child as an adult in the imagined career. The final double-page spread shows the siblings in their now messy room: "The game stopped when Mother called, `It's time to eat./Have you tidied your room yet? I do hope it's neat.'/`But Mom,' answered Joe, `how can you think of our room?/Mo's joined the circus, and I'm going to the moon!'"-Lisa Falk, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Kirkus Reviews
Brother and sister Joe and Mo's flights of fancy alleviate the boredom of being trapped inside on a rainy day. Conjuring up images of what they will do when they are ``big,'' the two explore a myriad of professions ranging from the ordinarychef or veterinarianto the exotic: race-car driver or intrepid explorer. While the children stick to traditional gender roles (Joe, a boy, chooses space exploration, while Mo, a girl, wants to be a hairdresser), Drury offers a wide array of vocations; rhyming couplets maintain a lively pace while Aye's images, filled with abundant details, aptly depict the boundless realm of the imagination. In a clever juxtaposition of reality and fantasy, every illustration shows in a smaller insert the children using common household objects as they ``work'' while the larger picture reflects the teeming world of their proposed futures. (Picture book. 2-7) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Card catalog description
On a rainy day, Mo and Joe pass the time by imagining all of the careers they might pursue when they grow up.

ANNOTATION

On a rainy day, Mo and Joe pass the time by imagining all of the careers they might pursue when they grow up.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Karen Porter

Joe and Mo in their room on a rainy afternoon are bored. They begin to fantasize about careers they might enjoy from hairdressing to under-sea diving. The book is written in verse which is supplemented with detailed drawings. In the end, Mother calls them back to reality asking if they have tidied their room. The room in the final illustration which was tidy as the book began, has become a cluttered playland for the children in their many professions. While the verse sometimes seems contrived, the rhyme and colorful pictures will make this book enjoyable to young children.

Library Journal

K-Gr 2-A 1950s or `60s retro color scheme gives this book a nostalgic look. "Mo and Joe watched the rain, waiting for the sun./They couldn't play outside today, which wasn't very fun." But of course, the brother and sister find plenty to keep them busy as they imagine all the exciting things they will do when they are big, even when it rains. They proceed to dream and play at all sorts of occupations: scientist, diver, hairdresser, race-car driver, etc. Double-page spreads feature four rhyming lines of text and a small illustration of Mo or Joe and what they are playing with while an overhead bubble shows the child as an adult in the imagined career. The final double-page spread shows the siblings in their now messy room: "The game stopped when Mother called, `It's time to eat./Have you tidied your room yet? I do hope it's neat.'/`But Mom,' answered Joe, `how can you think of our room?/Mo's joined the circus, and I'm going to the moon!'"-Lisa Falk, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Brother and sister Joe and Mo's flights of fancy alleviate the boredom of being trapped inside on a rainy day. Conjuring up images of what they will do when they are "big," the two explore a myriad of professions ranging from the ordinary—chef or veterinarian—to the exotic: race-car driver or intrepid explorer. While the children stick to traditional gender roles (Joe, a boy, chooses space exploration, while Mo, a girl, wants to be a hairdresser), Drury offers a wide array of vocations; rhyming couplets maintain a lively pace while Aye's images, filled with abundant details, aptly depict the boundless realm of the imagination. In a clever juxtaposition of reality and fantasy, every illustration shows in a smaller insert the children using common household objects as they "work" while the larger picture reflects the teeming world of their proposed futures. (Picture book. 2-7)