If I Could Work    by Terence Blacker & Chris Winn Order:  USA  Can Walker, 1987 (1987) Hardcover      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson You know that a picture book is good when it is well worn and a bit tattered around the edges. That is certainly the case with our copy of If I Could Work, which was always a popular choice for bedtime reading in my home. It begins 'If I could work instead of play, I'd get up early every day' and shows a child in a zoo keeper's uniform feeding the penguins. He continues on to drive a bus, whose eclectic collection of passengers includes a penguin, a scuba driver, a clown, an elephant, a spaceman and a Martian. You then see him as a fireman rescuing cats, an inventor making toys, a musician performing on a rooftop and making 'noise', a TV star in a limo, a doctor treating a child inside a dragon costume, a shopkeeper in a candy store, a police officer on highway patrol, 'an incredibly silly clown', and 'the first child to go to the moon'. It's a charming, whimsical treatment and the continuity in the colorful pictures is a lot of fun, allowing questions like 'Can you spot the penguin and the Martian in this one?' or 'Do you think you'd like to do that job?' And opening the pages still makes me smile, as it did when my children were young. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews