Today, Miki brings us a fabulous selection of books celebrating Dads. A very big ‘Happy Father’s Day!’ to all the Dads out there in the audience. Hope you enjoy your day, and that it brings lots of kisses, cuddles, and maybe even a story, with your little ones.
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Dads are such important people in the lives of both children and grown-up children. To celebrate Fathers Day, today’s book reviews focus on books about Dads.
I’ve provided links to make it easy to buy the books from Fishpond - www.fishpond.com.au. It’s a fantastic resource for discounted kids books, and to make it even better, all orders of $50.00 or more ship for free!
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and we send our support to families out there going through the challenge of cancer, and other serious illnesses. KidStyleFile has today made a donation to the Children’s Cancer Institute of Australia (CCIA), whose vision is to save the lives of all children with cancer, and to eliminate suffering.
KidStyleFile will also donate 10% of your book purchases made through Fishpond this month to the CCIA. Be sure to click any link to Fishpond in this page to ensure that your purchases are tracked.
Just Me And My Dad, Mercer Mayer - $8.99
One of Mayer’s acclaimed ‘Little Critter’ books, this one focuses on Little Critter and his Dad on a camping trip. The text is minimal but the illustrations are rich and detailed, and kids love spotting the little spider and grasshopper on each page. This book is a great way to introduce the kids to a night away camping with just Dad - a great idea for giving Mum a break for a night! Ages 2 - 5 will probably get the most out of this one.
My Dad, Anthony Browne -$15.99 $14.60
This former New York Times Bestseller book has recently been republished in a ‘minibook’ format, bringing the price way down without losing the content. It’s a boy describing (and exaggerating) his Dad’s many feats and accomplishments, which are all done in his trusty tartan dressing gown. It’s sweet and sentimental without being nauseating, and has a few good giggles in there as well. I read this one to my 13 month old and he giggles, so I’d say it’s good for 1 - 4 year olds.
The Trouble With Dad, Babette Cole - $4.99 (miniature format)
In the most respectful and complimentary way possible, may I just say that Babette Cole is a bit of a nutbag. Her books - among them, Princess Smartypants which is one of my all-time favourites - are always hilarious and always somewhat out of left field. This fine example of her work features a Dad who creates robots for lots of different purposes… but they never quite turn out as expected, with extremely funny results. This book is as much fun for adults to read as for children to listen to! Ages 3 - 100 for this one.
My Dad Is Awesome, Nick Butterworth - $15.99 $15.70
This is an ode to a very special Dad. In his child’s eyes he’s a hero: he can cook, he can rollerskate, he can juggle anything, he can play any instrument, he is strong as a gorilla and so on. What keeps it from being almost sickly sweet are the illustrations which show Dad really working hard to keep up with his kids’ lofty opinion of him! The repetitive phrases will make it easy for the kids to join in reading with you. I’d say it’s aimed at 2 - 4 year olds.
My Dad’s Toolbox, Amanda Archer - $41.99 $25.75
Wonderfully interactive, this pop-up book opens up to be a toolbox ‘just like Dad’s’. The toolbox holds fairly sturdy cardboard tools which attach with velcro and show through die-cut openings to remain a constant all the way through the book. The storyline of the book is a series of handyman tasks to do at Grandma’s house before 4 o’clock when she gets home. Kids will love helping ‘Dad’ achieve them all! This one is good for about 18 months - 3 years.
Come On Dad!, Ed Avis - $19.99 $18.53
I’m taking a bit of a departure here from the kids’ books I normally review, as this one is for adults. It’s intended as a book of activities for fathers and their sons, although my feminist soul rebels at the idea that girls (and Mums, for that matter) can’t do the activities too! (They can, of course). Regardless, this book really does have some fantastic ideas for things that Dads can do with their kids, and it’s great for those Dads who might just want a few extra fun ideas for when it comes to having one-on-one time with their child or children. The paper air force is my favourite! For Dads of kids aged 2 - 7ish.
Read more KidStyleFile Book Reviews here.
Dedication: I want to dedicate today’s post to my Dad because he is, and has always been, my hero and is absolutely wonderful (his jokes can be pretty bad though), and to my husband, who constantly amazes and delights me with what a brilliant and loving parent he is to our son. I don’t know what I’d do without either of the Dads in my life. xxx Miki.
