Dads Read Too

JER: “Knuffle Bunny”  by Mo Willems perfectly captures the challenges of parenting a toddler.  Everything seems to be going great, and then your toddler will turn to you and say: “AGGLE FLAGGLE KLABBLE!!!!”. They know full well what they want and what is wrong, but adults and toddlers don’t have a common language between them to coherently lodge complaints.  Parents are left scrambling to figure out the latest cryptic message. “Hmmmm, ‘Aggle’, could that mean she is hungry?  Oh no, I didn’t pack snacks!!?!? I knew I should have put that emergency beef stick in my pocket before we left.  But then again, ‘Flaggle’, does she think all those ‘snacks’ have gone to growing my tummy?!??”. Eventually, I am usually able to decipher the clues and fix the problem, but not until after many tears are shed.  That’s why this book hits close to home for me.

JER:   “Rude Cakes” by Rowboat Watkins is my latest favorite silly book, and not just because it was written by an author with the coolest name!  It began predictably with a “rude cake”, but then the story develops in completely unexpectedly delightful  Primary Theme: being considerate to others  Secondary Theme: karma catches up with you

JER:  “The Good Egg”  by Jory John and Pete Oswald is a follow-up to their previous book:  “The Bad Seed” .  When I realized they had made a "sequel", I couldn't help getting a bit nervous.  I loved "The Bad Seed" so much, I didn't want a lackluster follow-up to taint my high opinion of the original book.  But thankfully, I wasn't disappointed, and they complement each other well. What I love about both of these books is that the authors play around with the concept of being “GOOD” or “BAD”. When I started telling Mallory about “The Bad Seed”, she became concerned that she might not agree with what the book judged to be “BAD”. After all, history is full examples of society perpetuating viewpoints, creating laws, and punishing people for ideas, theories, or activities they thought were “BAD”, only to have society later decide those ideas, theories, or activities aren't BAD, and in some cases public opinion completely reverses and a majority of peo...

JER: “Not Quite Narwhal”  by Jessie Sima is all about self-awareness and discovery.  The protagonist - Kelp - struggles to figure out why he isn’t a very strong swimmer, and why he doesn’t seem to be like the other narwhals.  Eventually, Kelp journeys up onto the land after seeing a mysterious “land narwhal” on a cliff above the water.  Kelp realizes that he might actually be a “land narwhal”, or as he comes to find out, a “unicorn”.   I relate to this story in a small way.  I am the son of a Danish immigrant father and an American mother - who seems to have more Danish pride than my father.    I grew up with a lot of cognitive dissonance arising from “survival of the fittest” naked Capitalism and “American exceptionalism”.  I wasn’t able to fully understand that American culture may have been causing me some discomfort until I was able to live in Hong Kong for two years.  For once, I felt like I was surrounded by quiet, cons...

JER:  “Outfoxed”  by Mike Twohy is a great silly book.  The Fox is disappointed to barely escape the fence and guard dogs only to find that he didn’t end up grabbing a chicken from the henhouse.  It looks like a “duck”, but slobbers, chews up his clothes, and wakes him up with hot breath in his face.  He finally has enough and takes it back, but a surprise greets him when he arrives back home. 

JER:  “So Many Gifts”  by Anne Marie Pierce  is a bit out of season for February, but when I found it at my parents’ house on a trip to Utah with Lake - I instantly loved it.   It perfectly describes the way I want to think about Santa Claus and Christmas.  Primary Theme: a dream that “all would [receive] gift[s]”  Secondary Theme: passing on kindness to others Summary: the books envisions the origin story of Santa from a “very long tine ago, in a place I can’t remember”. There was a person who wanted to instill the joy of discovery in children, to make them laugh, and they wanted to make sure that as many children as possible could be rewarded with laughter.  But Santa soon realized that they would need “helpers”, and all the children who had received gifts in the past worked to help Santa develop “endless supplies of fantasy and myth”. We all are “Santa”, and we can keep alive the kindness that generated from one kind person. ...

The Treasure of Pirate Frank  by Mal Peet, Elspeth Graham and illustrated by Jez Tuya A: ☠️🗺A fun treasure hunt sparking a sense of adventure and discovery with many steps to go through and remember! And a big surprise at the destination! Sometimes our adventures (or just daily tasks) don’t end the way we think they will, but that doesn’t mean they are’t worth doing!! The story builds each page upon the last (like the little old lady who swallowed a fly) and then back down after they reach the ‘❌’ that marks the spot! Primary Theme: Adventure may not end where you think Secondary Themes: Strong female character, multiple steps to a process, overcoming obstacles Summary: From the Nosy Crow website: “A boy and his dog set sail in search of treasure, braving stormy seas... mountains snowy and cold... the swamp where the bullfrogs sing... and other challenging obstacles, before finally reaching the end of their quest. But wait! Pirate Frank is A GIRL! And she doesn’t want ...