The Top Job - Softcover

Elizabeth Cody Kimmel lives in New York's Hudson Valley.

Robert Neubecker lives in Park City, Utah.

*Starred Review* On Career Day, Mrs. Feeny asks the students to stand up and share what their parents do for a living. The class hears about jewelers, UFO hunters, and NASCAR drivers. Then the intrepid narrator shares that her dad changes light bulbs. At first the class ridicules the girl and her father, but when they find out that he changed the Empire State Building's "tippy top" light bulb, a feat involving courage and stamina, they are most impressed. The pacing and rhythm of the text is impeccable, and without being didactic, Kimmel beautifully integrates themes of standing up for yourself, responding to rudeness and bragging, and girls who are talented mathematicians. There is a fair amount of text on each page, but the stylized, cartoon-style illustrations, rendered in clear colors and bold black outlines, nicely extend the plot and show the lighted tower in a dramatic image, spread horizontally across a double-page spread for maximum impact. A great choice for reading aloud with early-elementary students, this title will encourage discussion about careers. And the story is based on fact: there really is a person who changes high-altitude light bulbs in landmark buildings! Carton, Debbie