Julie Chen Inspires Kids to Dream Big in New Picture Book

After two years in the works, Emmy Award-winning TV personality Julie Chen, host of The Talk and Big Brother, is releasing her first children’s book. When I Grow Up (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books) is inspired by Chen’s lofty aspirations for her son, Charlie, and pays homage to the bright, shining potential of every child and the glowing pride every new mother feels for her baby. “You really think that your child is going to grow up to be the President of the United States,” says Chen. “I’m Chinese. It’s never too early for a Chinese mom to think about her child’s career.”

According to Chen, her own mother’s prodding fueled her ambition to become a TV news broadcaster. “In 1983 when I was 13 years old, you never saw anyone Asian on TV unless you were watching a bad Kung Fu movie,” she says. One night, Chen’s father turned on the local news, WABC Channel 7 in Queens, New York, and immediately began screaming at the top of his lungs. Alarmed, Chen’s whole family raced into the living room only to find that the ruckus was over the fact that there was an Asian person on TV. Chen remembers that pivotal moment vividly. “There she was … a female Asian broadcaster named Kaity Tong,” recalls Chen. “It wasn’t a Kung Fu movie, it was the news. And she even looked equal to her male counterpart. It was groundbreaking.”

Ultimately, this book is about my journey of learning to be the best mother I can be. All mothers help to shape the type of adult their child will become and I want to help my son find happiness, just as my mother did for me.”

Immediately, Chen’s mother took action. Recognizing that her daughter was naturally inquisitive and enjoyed the limelight, she thought the job would be a perfect fit. “She looked at me and said, ‘If she can do it, you can do it,’” says Chen. “She planted that seed in my mind way back then and it had a profound effect on the rest of my life. She was my mother. She knew me best, although up until that point she had thought I would grow up to be a lawyer because I always argued.”

From then on, Chen pursued her career goals with laser focus. “I never strayed from that path,” she says. “I knew I wanted to be in journalism and that was it.” Six years later, Chen found herself working as an intern at CBS Network News in New York City. “Ten years later, in 1999, I was the news anchor on that channel, on that exact broadcast,” she says.

Recognizing that she owes her success to that initial push from her mother, Chen wondered how she could do the same thing for her own child and help him find his ideal profession. “Ultimately, this book is about my journey of learning to be the best mother I can be,” she says. “All mothers help to shape the type of adult their child will become and I want to help my son find happiness, just as my mother did for me.”

Chen admits that she might have overdone it in the past from time to time, encouraging her son to pursue even the slightest inclination towards something that could turn him into a superstar some day. “When he had a little bit of an interest in soccer, I thought he could be the next Pelé or Beckham,” she says. “Basically, anything he gravitated towards I imagined him at the pinnacle of wherever that could take him.”

While writing When I Grow Up, which is illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Diane Goode, Chen kept two goals first and foremost in her mind. “First, this book had to be something that would keep the kids entertained, and secondly, it had to be something that moms reading the book to their children would be able to get something out of,” she says. The story follows a little boy and his mother who is helping him get ready for bed. Their bedtime routine is peppered with discussions about him holding various occupations someday. Maybe he’ll be a baker or a teacher. He could be a mountain climber or even a mayor. It ends with the mother snuggling with her son, reassuring him and promising to continue dreaming about tomorrow with him. “As a mom, you want to talk with your children about the future and you want to help them find their way in life,” says Chen. “However, you also want them to know that at the end of the day, no matter what, you’ve got their back.”

When I Grow Up may be a delightful children’s book, but it’s also a testament to how Chen has grown as a mother and how she’s been able to temper her expectations for her son with the realization of what is truly important. “I’m not as much of a tiger mom as I thought I’d be,” she says. “Of course I still want him to be successful, but I’m starting to realize that being successful is really just a bonus. As long as he’s happy, I’m ok with it if he’s not curing cancer or receiving a Kennedy Center Honor or performing at Carnegie Hall. I just want him to be happy.”

For more information about Julie Chen and When I Grow Up, visit whenigrowupthebook.com.

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