Thistle Howl desperately wants to grow, but drinking purple pickle juice doesn't help and her aunt's magic makes Thistle think that maybe she's content just as she is.
In the school musical, the students happily act out their choices for grown-up occupations, except for one young boy who has a very different idea about what he wants to be.
Simple rhyming text follows a person's journey through life focusing on the hands and what they do from babyhood to adulthood, when a new pair of hands comes into existence.
After her grandmother reads her a story about growing up, Allie the mouse imagines what she will be like when she is grown. Includes note to parents and discussion questions.