WHEN I GROW UP, I CAN BE A DIETITIAN

Baxter’s illustrated children’s book explores the different ways that dietitians help others with healthy eating.

Dietitians, the author explains, are food experts who work in various places to make sure everyone around them is practicing healthy eating. Anyone can be a dietitian, regardless of race or disability. Using 10 examples of aspiring dietitians from around the world, along with examples of healthy snacks and simple tasks to learn more about vegetables, the book shows how being a dietitian is important work with applications in many fields. (“They can work in hospitals, research, or sports nutrition. Dietitians may work in community health, food service, or the military.”) Kai, a child from Hawaii, wants to become a dietitian who does research that will help people make better food choices. Simone, who has prosthetic legs and plays tennis on her school’s team, wants to help athletes with their diets so they can play their best. Quan, whose parents are soldiers, wants to work with the Army to help soldiers on duty keep up their energy. Tallulah, a member of the Navajo tribe, wants to become a professor who teachers nutrition classes in college. And Ying, who is from China, wants to write magazine articles that will help people with nutrition. Each example of an aspiring dietitian is accorded a two-page spread accompanied by Mahaleris’ colorful, cartoonish illustrations and includes descriptions of each child’s ethnic background, disability (if any), favorite vegetable, and reasons for wanting to become a dietitian. The book also provides many real-life examples of related jobs children might be interested in as future careers. The structure of each written spread does feel a bit clumsy in terms of construction; facts are presented seemingly at random and the information does not always flow in a logical way from paragraph to paragraph. However, with its simple discussions of different types of work in the profession, the book will surely succeed in encouraging all kinds of children to think about becoming dietitians.

An approachable, if slightly awkward, introduction to an impactful career path.