Dads Read Too

JER: “ When I Was A Girl . . . I Dreamed ” by authors Margaret Baker & Justin Matott and illustrator Mark Ludy is a refreshing “girl book”. “Girl books” are usually plagued with agendas, all sorts of agendas: “girls are supposed to like pink and wait for men to rescue them”, “girls are meant to be fierce and take control”, “girls need to ride ponies”, "girls need to skateboard”, etcetera.  Historically, Princess Stories have created unhealthy stereotypes, and many modern books try to create a counter narrative, which is helpful, but it would be nice to get to a place where a story or book could include “girls” without having to address the fact that the character is a girl.  This is a major reason why I like @hildatheseries - the fact that Hilda is a girl doesn’t drive the story.   What I like about this book, is that it is agnostic to any particular “dream” or role.  You can be a girl, and dream of riding ponies, being a teacher, be a ballerina, be an artist, be...

JER: “ Ada Twist, SCIENTIST ” by author Andrea Beaty and illustrator David Roberts is a really great introduction into the Scientific Method, and the important part questioning plays in advancing understanding.  Parenting is really hard, I often want to resort to arguments from authority to “make” my children do I what I want/need, but I have also seen how much my children’s development improves when I allow their curiosity to guide them and when I have patience for the messes, or “creative explosions”, that result.

JER: “ My Hair Is A Garden ” by author/illustrator Cozbi A. Cabrera starts with a specific problem - “Mack’s hair is always a mess” everyone, even Mack, seemed to accept it as a fact.  What I love about this book is that it expertly weaves in universal themes from one specific problem:  • Relying on Community: “there was something special about Miss Tillie . . . You could say her house had a glory. . . . She knew I was at her house for a reason. . . . Miss Tillie called my mama, who said I could stay there a while.”  • Growth takes time: “I thought about how that little tree had survived and all the water Miss Tillie gave it every day, even though it looked like a broken branch.  I wondered if I would have given up and thrown it away.”  • Diversity is beautiful:  A Japanese maple isn’t prettier than succulents, “they’re both beautiful even though they’re so different.”; and  • I especially love the last few pages: “My hair is a garden.  And like e...

JER: “ Hilda Series : Hilda and the Troll; Hilda and the Midnight Giant; and Hilda and the Bird Parade” by Luke Pearson plays with Nordic fantasy and the unexpected.  Is that a tree or “The Wood Man” who is “aware of too much in my own house to ever truly be comfortable in it” so he spends lots of time in Hilda’s house.  Is that a rock or a Troll?  Is that a mountain or a Giant who has been waiting for her friend?  Most importantly, I love these three books (and look forward to getting the rest in the series) since they model adventure (without focusing on the fact that Hilda is a girl), they model empathy (you never know if that common looking crow could be a THUNDERBIRD), and they model navigating real life situations: making mistakes, moving to new places, relying on the kindness of others, learning who are your real friends, etcetera.  Many thanks to my friend @mshenriksen for introducing to this series.

JER: “ Something Happened In Our Town ” by authors Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard and illustrator Jennifer Zivoin is a great book to discuss Race, Police Shootings, and Empathy.  It helps explain the social construct of Race: “Some Black people have dark brown skin, and some have light brown skin . . . ‘Black’ usually means African American.  Most of their ancestors were brought here from Africa as slaves . . . White people cake here from places in Europe, or Russia or other countries.  We are White, even though our skin is light tan.” It discusses systematic racism, and how it can be likened to a pattern on a blanket, “an unfair pattern”. It discusses the perspectives from multiple families, multiple backgrounds, and shifts to teaching empathy for other people who might be excluded, like Omad who moved “from a country far away” and was still “learning English”.  The three Co-Authors are Psychologists with decades of experience in children’s behav...

JER: “ The Day You Begin ” by author Jacqueline Woodson and illustrator Rafael López does a great job discussing all the ways people can be made to feel different, from race, appearance, accent, ability, or socioeconomic status. “There will be times when the world feels like a place you’re standing all the way outside of . . . “. Since I grew up with an unusual last name: Valentiner (sounds Italian, but my father is Danish). I used to really care that people would pronounce it “right”. I felt for “Rigoberto” because they don’t understand “the way words curl from your mouth” or how to say your name.  I hope the kids of the future treat my girls with kindness, especially my youngest girl who has a family name “Ejler” (my grandfather’s name pronounced like “Tyler” without the “T”, and she will probably have to explain it for the rest of her life like my niece Anja (my grandmother’s name)). But I have hope they will grow to realize that we all have things in common and our differences ...

A: Great books about kid’s big feelings: being different, having anxiety or a worry, and frustration. Perfectly Norman is a beautiful story about a boy who grows wings. He tries to hide them under a rain coat. For me, it is such a great analogy for being “different” (read gay). My favorite line, “ It occurred to Norman that it was the coat that was making him miserable, not the wings.” It was the hiding his true self that made him miserable, not his difference. I try to do my small part and share with our kids that it is our differences that make us unique and special, and our humanness that makes us included. We have found connections to these books for many reasons these past couple months!

JER: “ Me . . . Jane ” by Patrick McDonnell is all about Dr. Jane Goodall, and is a welcome reminder that dreams come true and people can make a difference in this world.  Dr. Jane Goodall changed the way we view animals, and helped demonstrate how closely related we are as fellow passengers on this fragile planet. 

JER: “ Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story ” by author Lisa Westberg Peters and illustrator Lauren Stringer is a simple, age-appropriate introduction into EVOLUTION.  I love how the and illustrator focus on the inter-connectivity of all LIFE by relating our journey from simple cells to complex life as an evolution through various stages and specific animals that allowed us to inherit specific traits along the way. Another great book from my neighbors Ellen and Ted

JER: “ ALMA and How She Got Her Name ” by Juana Martinez-Neal touches on family history and cultural norms in different countries.  At first, Alma is frustrated with a name that she felt was “too long”, but after she learns the intention and meaning behind each name she feels a greater connection to her ancestors and feels inspired by their legacies.  This book resonates with me personally, since I also felt a deep connection to my ancestors and relatives as Mallory and I started thinking of names for our children. My oldest daughter, Lake Marie, has Mallory’s last name - “Lake” - and her grandmothers middle name - “Marie”. Our youngest daughter Ejler Rae has her great grandfather’s first name - “Ejler” and her great grandmothers nickname - “Rae” (my great grandmother was named “Anna Rebecca” after each of her grandmothers: “Anna” and “Rebecca” - whom, unfortunately, happened to [be very jealous of] each other.  To avoid any jealousy over being called by either grandparen...

JER: “ Someone New ” by Anne Sibley O’Brien is a great early book to begin talking about race and differences.  It explores ways to develop empathy for someone new to your community or social group.  It demonstrates valuable tools that children can use to be welcoming and how to find things in common.  Jesse learns that his soccer team is “even better with Maria”. Jason and Jin teach each other how to write in their respective languages until “it’s like we have a real secret code”. Emma connects with Fatimah through art and learns that Fatimah has two brothers like her.

JER: “ Polar Bear’s underwear ” by author/illustrators/designers Tupera Tupera (Tatsuya Kameyama & Atsuko Nakagawa) is a really cute mystery story.  Follow mouse and polar bear as they try to find Polar Bear’s underwear.  I really love that the book also comes with its own pair of red underwear that fits around the bottom. 

JER: “ A Stone Sat Still ” by Brendan Wenzel is another great exploration into perspective and perception similar to “They All Saw A Cat”. I particularly like “and the stone was a feel; and the stone was a smell; and the stone was a kitchen”.

JER: “ I Like You ” by author Sandol Stoddard Warburg and illustrator Jacqueline Chwast makes me feel very sentimental.  It is a “friendship love story”, that catalogues all the many and varied reasons “I Like You”, e.g. “If you go away then I go away too.  Or if I stay home.  You send me a postcard.  You don’t just say: Well see you around. Some time.  Bye”. It makes me want to be a better friend and spouse, and hope my spouse could read this book and think of me.

JER: “ The Great Eggscape! ” by Jory John and Pete Oswald is a seasonal sequel to “The Good Egg”. It isn’t as thought provoking or clever as the “The Good Egg”, but it is worth reading and the Easter egg stickers are really fun.

JER: “ The Detective Dog ” by author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Sara Ogilvie was gifted to us by my mother-in-law JoAn. It follows the development of Detective Dog Nell’s skills, from helping the person named Peter who shared her house find the “bus in the bowl and the book in the bed.  The sock in the sofa and the shoe in the shed”, to helping find the book thief!  Luckily it has a happy ending, it explores the wonderful smell of books, and has great illustrations.  Definitely worth tracking down.