Father's Day, 2006
The following reviews were presented in our 2006 Father's Day feature.
Reviews
Because Your Daddy Loves You
Andrew Clements
Illustrated by R.W. Alley
A loving dad does all the right things to make a young girl feel secure and cared for. He does not just tell you to go back to sleep when you have a bad dream; he sits beside you until you fall asleep. On a trip to the beach, every time something goes wrong he does not scold or blame. He finds your lost shoe; he brings back your carelessly tossed ball; he wipes up the mess from your melting ice cream cone. Back home, he patiently goes through the whole bed-time routine, ending with the vital "I love you." In this tribute to an ideal dad, no mother appears, making this particularly reassuring to children of single-parent dads, if they can be even half this caring. Alley's ink, watercolor, and acrylic pictures are especially effective in supplying contextual details while always keeping the focus on the two major characters. The gestures and facial expressions tell a positive story of cheerful mutual affection. There is a deceptive simplicity to the artist's drawings in vignettes and full-page scenes that can make the brief text at times seem even redundant. 2005, Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Company, $16.00. Ages 3 to 6. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN 0-618-00361-4
Because Your Daddy Loves You
Andrew Clements
Illustrations by R.W. Alley
A young girl spends the day with her dad, preparing and going to the beach. Along the way, she and her father experience different situations that reflect the daily events in a father-daughter relationship. Throughout these daily trials of life, her father happily and lovingly helps her overcome them, conveying the message that no matter what they do, Dads will always love and support their daughters. Through text and illustrations, Clements and Alley portray the ideal dad. The round images in the illustrations convey a sense of comfort and happiness throughout the story. The pages, filled with bright sunny days and very colorful visuals, reflect how truly happy this father and daughter are and how much they enjoy spending time together. As the pages turn, the illustrations truly make this a great story and present an amazing relationship between a father and daughter. 2005, Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Company, Ages 5 to 8, $16.00. Reviewer: J. Ashlyn Kohl (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-618-00361-7
ISBN: 0-618-00361-4
Bigger Than Daddy
Harriet Ziefert
Pictures by Elliot Kreloff
Part Runaway Bunny, part Mama, Do You Love Me, part Guess How Much I Love You and part Freaky Friday; this father son book explores a day at the park, the return home, and a game in which they exchange roles, thus convincing Edward that sometimes children long to be big and that sometimes they want to be just the size they are. Set in an urban locale, we see the pair ride up on an elevator to their apartment. Where Edward gets to play a game "before dinner," the game of you be me and I'll be you...Edward is very relieved when Daddy is "big and tall" and able to make dinner. In the bath Edward teases Daddy with "What if I were a big, huge whale and swam across the ocean?" Daddy answers "then how could I: dry you off ... comb your hair ... tuck you in and kiss you good night." Daddy sets the boundaries that Edward needs to learn (ex. When Edward pretends to be an airplane Daddy says "Time for you to fly this way ... We need to go home for dinner.") in life; but, he also enters into play willingly while also knowing when the game should end and dinner begin. The author explores a number of parent/child interactions all in one book: admonitions to be careful at the park, time constraints, expectations of each person, and duties found in most all households. A loving bond between father and son portrayed with child-like, stylized drawings is depicted here for the pleasure of bedtime reading. 2006, Blue Apple Books, Ages 4 to 6, $15.95. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan
ISBN: 078-1-59354-147-7
ISBN: 1-59354-147-3
Dad, Jackie, and Me
Myron Uhlberg
Illustrations by Colin Bootman
A little boy who grew up in Brooklyn in the 1940's loves the Dodgers as well as their new first baseman, Jackie Robinson, the first African American major league baseball player. One day, the boy's father, who is deaf, brings home baseball tickets for a Dodgers game. During the game, people call Jackie horrible names. The boy learns about discrimination and respect through what Jackie endured while playing baseball, but he also learns about prejudice from having a deaf parent. As the boy's father yells for Jackie during the game, the boy notices stares from other fans. At first he is embarrassed, but as time goes on, he gains respect for his father's disability as well as respect for his father's support of this prominent minority. This experience sparks the father's interest in baseball, and every day when the boy's dad comes home from work, they play baseball together. They soon bond because of their shared love of baseball and Jackie Robinson. Together they see the hardships of being different, whether that means being having a physical impairment or being a racial minority. The illustrations in the book are watercolor paintings, but the beginning and end of the book show newspaper clippings about Jackie Robinson. These endpapers give the book historical legitimacy, as they present facts about the real Jackie Robinson. Although the book is fiction, the newspaper clippings show how the author intertwines fact and fiction to create an effective story.
2005, Peachtree Publishers, Ages 4 to 8, $16.95. Reviewer: Mary Katherine Jackson (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 1-56145-329-3
Day Out with Daddy
Stephen Cook
The droll, straightforward text tells the story of the day from the little boy's perspective. The illustrations show us what actually took place. The result is a humorous look at what can happen when mom goes away for a day on business. Their "good breakfast" shows doughnuts, "Super Sugar" cereal, chocolate cupcakes and other assorted goodies. They go to a petting zoo and the ballpark. Daddy prepares a "special meal" that burns while he is reading the paper. It is a good thing there is pizza take-out. The exaggerations in the cartoon-style illustrations will have fathers and sons laughing out loud at the ineptness of this noodlehead dad. It is an old joke with new, comical faces. All those marvelous fathers who handle child-rearing and household chores with aplomb will not find themselves here. The fun of noodlehead tales, however, is in that smugness of knowing how superior we are to the character in the story. This is a quick, fun read for Father's Day or any day you want to hear a child laugh. 2006, Walker, Ages 5 to 7, $16.95. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-8027-8059-8
ISBN: 978-0-8027-8059-1
ISBN: 0-8027-8060-1
ISBN: 978-0-8027-8060-7
A Father's Song
Janet Lawler
Illustrated by Lucy Corvino
A little boy and his father enjoy the day together at the park and at the beach. The rhyming text talks about the things they are doing together and the fun they are having: "If I push so the swing arcs/ as high as it goes,/ you reach for the sky/ when you kick up your toes." While the text conveys the loving bond between parent and child, it is not particularly memorable. The illustrations show the father and son in the various activities. Since they arrive at the park without any bags or baggage, the reader may wonder where their lunch came from, or how they were able to sit and read a book. Some but not all of the pictures have events occurring in the background, such as dogs playing together or children flying kites. In some illustrations the child looks like a preschooler. In others, he looks older. This is an additional title that can be of service around Father's Day. It will have more appeal to sentimental adults than to children. 2006, Sterling Publishing, Ages 3 to 6, $12.95. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 1-4027-2501-9
ISBN: 978-1-4027-2501-2
Going Fishing
Bruce McMillan
Young Friorik, who lives in Iceland, is going fishing with both of his grandfathers. One fishes for cod and the other for lumpfish. McMillan's pristine full-color photos capture the boy's delight, the nature of the tools of the trade (winch, boat, net buoy) as well as the look of the fish. Close-ups help readers differentiate the two sorts of fish, their sexes, the way roe looks, and the way caught fish are stored on the two different boats. An afterword delineates the two sorts of fish while a triptych shows their importance to the Icelanders because both fish appear on stamps and coins of the realm. An excellent book for "reading the culture" when middle readers study the world, it is also an introduction to the ocean, those who get their living from it, and the interconnectedness of this part of the world with the rest of it. 2005, Houghton Mifflin, $16.00. Ages 6 to 11. Reviewer: Susan Hepler, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-618-47201-0
Grandad's Dinosaur
Brough Girling
Illustrations by Stephen Dell
This title is part of a series called "I Am Reading'" that is designed to bridge the gap between picture books and regular chapter books. Sally is searching in her grandfather's cluttered garage for a fishnet so she can catch tadpoles in the pond. Imagine her surprise when out pops a small red dinosaur. He introduces her to all kinds of fun, including a fast ride on a small wagon, getting soaked with the sprinkler and eventually being pitched into the pond. Children love dinosaurs and will be enchanted by this humorous story of a very realistic little girl. The ending, with Sally and her grandfather sharing a book about dinosaurs is delightful. Dell's illustrations are a perfect compliment to the story and add greatly to the fun. A unique fold over front flap provides an instant book marker and a list of the other titles in the series is printed on the inside of the back cover. If the other books are as well done as this one, teachers will surely put them all to good use. 2005 (orig. 1997), Kingfisher, $3.95. Ages 6 to 9. Reviewe: Sylvia Firth (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-7534-5897-7
Grandfather Buffalo
Jim Arnosky
A buffalo, old but still strong, walks alone following the tracks of the herd in the distance. Near a stream a cow has also fallen behind, as the birth of her calf is imminent. The old buffalo stays near her under a starry sky until the calf is born. As the three struggle to catch up to the herd, a blinding dust storm rages around them. The calf stays close to the old buffalo. Later that night, safe at last, grandfather buffalo awakes from sleep to feel something pressing close to him-the young calf. Arnosky tenderly writes of the bond foraged between the young and old and the important role the elderly play in the life of the young. This peaceful, poetic circle of life story is complemented by the simplicity and beauty of the artwork. Arnosky's palette and attention to detail reflect his own deep communion with nature. 2006, Putnam/Penguin, Ages 5 to 8, $16.99. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey
ISBN: 0-399-24169-8
Grandfather Buffalo
Jim Arnosky
This heart-warming tale of love across the generations should have particular appeal to grandparents as well as animal lovers. "Grandfather Buffalo was old and slow, but he was still strong." Although he tends to fall behind the herd, he keeps it in sight. Coming upon a young buffalo cow also falling behind because she is heavily pregnant, he protects her, then helps her young calf along. The calf, in turn, warms him sleeping by his side. Grandfather is contentedly still "part of the herd" at the end of the simply told story. The text ends to have qualities of a tone poem, a sequence of emotional expressions rather than dramatic adventure. The double-page watercolor scenes use color to stimulate our emotions as they depict the changing skies and grassy landscapes. Always they focus on the grandfather, at first isolated but then together with the calf and then other members of the herd. The style is naturalistic, but dominated by an esthetic sensitivity that emphasizes the emotional content. 2006, G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin Young Readers Group, Ages 3 to 6, $16.99. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-399-24169-8
Grandpa Loves
Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Illustrated by Kathryn Brown
Throughout the days and seasons the love of grandpas for their little ones is tenderly documented with lovely alliterative text and charming illustrations, some of which are bordered as if they were photographs pasted into a keepsake album. Each spread depicts Grampa interacting with a little one in some activity where Grandpa's attention is devoted to the child. The settings include a woodland camping trip, building a tree house, going fishing, sandcastle building at the beach, playing baseball, stomping through puddles, sharing music, sledding in the snow, and reading books together. Careful sharing of these little stories within a story will demonstrate the seasons of the year and lots of other things for the reader and the listener to discuss. The basic premise of sharing loving experiences is a powerful message for all little people and those that love them. "Peopled" with pigs the vignettes are well matched with the illustrations and are not inhibited by stereotypes of gender (it is a granddaughter helping to build a tree house). There are many subtle reminders of all of the things that families can and should share with their children. The grandpa figure is dignified, but full of energy and is the perfect role model for fathers and grandfathers. 2005, HarperCollins, $15.99. Ages 2 to 6. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan (Children's Literature).
ISBN 0-06-029405-1
ISBN 0-06-029406-X
Hard Hit
Ann Turner
In blank verse, Turner limns the outlines of tenth-grader Mark Warren's life: "Good at Magic cards / skateboarding / and baseball/ handglovesmack / hitcracksail / awe." Everything changes when his father is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The text is studded with tiny moments revealing what it is really like: starting a five week science project only to wonder, "where will my dad be / five weeks from now;" watching his parents dance together after a momentary reprieve from bad news, "I can hardly stand / to watch / my heart is strange/ and full." As hard and sad and fragmentary as the process itself, this book will speak to all teens, but especially to those who have gone through similar experiences. 2006, Scholastic, Ages 10 to 14, $16.99. Reviewer: Kristi Jemtegaard
ISBN: 0-439-29680-3
I'm a Duck
Teri Sloat
Here is one exuberant little duck. He is proud of his quack, his webbed feet, and his wings: "Just think, I grew both of these things!" In time he meets another duck that makes his "mallard tail curl" with feathers and wings and webbed feet but is also "amazing and graceful". Now, with a wife at his side, his life is complete. Soon she's feathering a nest and lays ten wonderful eggs. Duck's pride knows no bounds when perfect, fuzzy little ducklings hatch from those eggs. The irrepressible duck proclaims, "Of all the magnificent luck that I've had, nothing beats being a duck and a...Dad!" The infectious rhyme begs to be read aloud and kids and their dads will giggle with glee over duck's antics and irresistible charm. The pastel artwork in greens and yellows perfectly depicts the wetlands. The celebration of fatherhood will make a perfect Father's Day gift for any Dad. 2006, Putnam, Ages 3 to 6, $15.99. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey
ISBN: 0-399-24274-0
Mouse's First Snow
Lauren Thompson
Illustrated by Buket Erdogan
The softly illustrated snowy scenes of a perfect winter day spent playing with Poppa, and the short, snappy text make this a nice addition to the "Mouse's First" series. The little mouse and his poppa go out to play in the snow. First, Poppa goes sledding. "Woosh, swoosh!" Then Mouse decides he can do that too, and he does. "Pliff, Ploof!" Poppa goes skating and Mouse joins in, gliding across the ice. Then Poppa teaches Mouse how to make snow angels. Mouse watches Poppa make a snow house; Mouse makes one of his own. All through the book Poppa shows Mouse how to do things. Although Mouse does not do everything quite as well as Poppa, he has a wonderful time. Finally Poppa rolls a big snow ball and Mouse rolls a slightly smaller one. With just a little work, the snowballs are made into a surprise for Mouse--a round little snow mouse. This will be fun to read just before taking a little one out to romp in the snow. It is also a fine book to share when curling up on the sofa on a cold winter's day. 2005, Simon & Schuster, $12.95. Ages 2 to 6. Reviewer: Carolyn Mott Ford (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-689-85836-1
My Dad, the Coach
Catherine Hapka
This title is based on the Universal Studios motion picture screenplay, which was written by Steve Rudnick and Leo Benvenuti. It is a far too common story about an over-zealous parent who learns a lesson the hard way, inadvertently hurting his own child in the process. The fanatical behavior is first displayed by the grandfather of a boy named Sam who coaches his grandson's soccer team. It becomes apparent to Sam that winning the games means more to his grandfather than he does when Sam is traded to another team because he is not one of the better players. Sam cannot believe that his grandfather would rather have a winning season than to have his own grandson on his team. Sam's dad becomes the coach of his new soccer team, called the Tigers. Sam quickly realizes that his own dad is becoming just like his grandfather--obsessed with winning. In his determination to prove to his own father that he "has what it takes to coach in his league," Sam's dad learns everything he can about soccer, finds an assistant coach, adds two Italian players to his team, and rarely lets his own son play in the games. And, to make matters worse, Sam's dad starts to yell, lose his temper, and act crazy at games. Sam confronts his dad and tells him how he feels, but nothing changes. It is not until Sam refuses to play in a game that his dad realizes that he is more afraid of losing his son than he is of losing a soccer game. This is part of the "Soccer Dad" series. "A Note to Parents," at the end of this "Festival Readers" book, lists helpful tips for fostering a child's reading. 2005, Harper Kids Entertainment/HarperCollins Publishers, $3.99. Ages 6 to 9. Reviewer: Lisa B. C. O'Connell (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-06-077255-7
My Daddy is a Giant
Carl Norac
Illustrations by Ingrid Godon
From this little boy's perspective, having a daddy is like having his own personal giant. His daddy is so tall that the clouds can rest on his shoulders. His sneezes are as powerful as hurricanes. The best part of the story comes when the little boy says he feels safe when his daddy holds him. The boy's daddy then assures him that he will one day be a giant just like him. Artist Ingrid Godon used oil pastel drawings with bright, bold illustrations to capture the story's gentle humor. Though some picture books stereotype dads as unemotional men with tough exteriors, these pastel color drawings show the soft and gentle side of them. This warm and lively celebration of fathers sends a great message to the young about the importance and the specialness of daddies. 2005 (orig. 2004), Houghton Mifflin Company, Ages 3 to 5, $16.00. Reviewer: Jennifer Terry
(Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-618-44399-1
My Father's Shop
Satomi Ichikawa
Morocco becomes the backdrop for this beautiful, touching tale about a boy and his father, the village rug seller. The lad, Mustafa, relates the tale in first person; this adds to the richness of the text. Mustafa's father has many brilliantly colored rugs in his shop for tourists to buy. When Mustafa finds a rug with a hole in the middle (one that can fit over his head), he asks his father for it. His father does not miss a learning opportunity and says Mustafa may have the rug if he learns some foreign languages, since they are important in the rug trade. Mustafa agrees and tries, but after only one lesson he runs out of the shop and seeks shelter in the city market. It is there that he discovers the value of knowing foreign languages and returns to the shop to learn more. Fortunately, tourists follow him and buy his father's rugs. Vibrant, colorful illustrations blend perfectly with the text. This rich book will accentuate classroom learning about different countries and will be read again and again for the worth of the story. 2006 (orig. 2004), Kane/Miller, $15.95. Ages 4 to 6. Reviewer:Nancy Garhan Attebury (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 1-929132-99-9
My Grandfather is a Magician: work and wisdom in an African village
Ifeoma Onyefulu
The author introduces us to the members of his family
and their various occupations such as baker, wood carver, potter,
doctor and lawyer. But the most interesting one of all is his
grandfather whose understanding of plants helps cure illnesses in his
African village in eastern Nigeria. The author cautions the reader
that many plants look similar but some can be lethal and therefore
they should not experiment with tasting them. The clear full color
photographs bring the countryside, the people and the culture to
life. The text is short, engaging and informative. Together, they
just make you want to keep turning the page and discovering more. An
afterword provides more information about grandfather's plants and
the importance of traditional folk medicine and its impact on
scientific studies today. This is a marvelous book for Father's Day,
a study on Nigeria, or looking at family life and also the study of
plants. Simple enough for reluctant readers, engaging for everyone.
2000 (orig. 1998), Frances Lincoln, Ages 8 to 12, $7.95. Reviewer:
Sharon Salluzzo
ISBN: 1-84507-510-2
ISBN-13: 978-1-84507-510-1
My Pop Pop and Me
Irene Smalls
Illustrations by Cathy Ann Johnson
A little boy and his grandfather bake a cake in this rhyming picture book. The rhymes reflect the young cook as he squeezes a lemon, pours milk, adds eggs or pours the batter. The illustrations are lively and it is nice to see the enthusiasm the young boy has for his tasks in making the cake. The artist, Cathy Ann Johnson, does a nice job showing the love between the grandfather and child; each illustration centers around the counter where the cake is being made. Some of the steps of baking are not included such as pre-heating the oven; the book would be applicable if these steps to produce a cake were more apparent. While the assembly of a double-layer cake appears too easily, the ending of a hug between the two cooks satisfies. The recipe to make this cake appears at the end of the book. A nice lively book showing a grandfather and his grandson in spite of some missed cooking steps and forced rhymes. 2006, Little, Brown and Company, Ages 3 to 8, $15.99. Reviewer: Elizabeth Fronk (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-31673-422-5
Mystery Bottle
Kristen Balouch
"A package came for me early in the morning," a young boy relates. It is addressed to him in Brooklyn with the return address in Arabic letters, from Tehran, Iran. The mysterious little bottle inside contains a wind that carries him across the sea to the city where his father was born and into his grandfather's arms. After some time together his grandfather says to him, "Breathe in the wind and mix it with love and blow it into the bottle." That can bring him back again, his grandfather tells him. The magical journey is a gift of the imagination in the love of grandfather and child. The caption-like text accompanies the many tiny details spread across the double-page scenes that tell the visual story. The objects and characters seem composed of cut papers, creating a flat appearance. We see buildings, vehicles, animals, and instruments reflecting the journey from Brooklyn across the ocean to Iran. There the boy and his grandfather enjoy their experiences amid abstracted scenes of local color. This collection of exotic impressions wrapped in an emotionally uplifting story is connected at the end in a note about the experience of the author's Iranian-born husband and his distant grandfather. 2006, Hyperion Books for Children, Ages 4 to 8, $15.99. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
ISBN: 0-7868-0999-X
Zoom!
Diane Adams
Illustrated by Kevin Luthardt
This is the story of a little boy's first ride on a roller coaster. Even with his dad's encouragement, the narrator is, at first, quite nervous about the "Dinocoaster." His dad starts out with a big smile and his arms raised to the sky, fully ready to enjoy the coaster ride. However, by the halfway point in the ride (and the book), Dad is looking a little peaked and son is having the time of his life. As the book ends, Dad is relieved to send son off on the coaster with another little boy, and the Dino takes off again. The story itself is very simple, so the illustrations become an important factor in young reader interest. They do their job, with strong color and detail throughout. Young readers will enjoy the book because they will be able to read it fairly easily and because they will be reminded of their first ride on a roller coaster. A cute read. 2005, Peachtree Publishers, $15.95. Ages 3 to 7. Reviewer: Jean Boreen, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 1-5614-5332-3
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Updated 05/16/06
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