Dads Read Too

JER: “ Mr. Tiger Goes Wild ” by Peter Brown, to me, is all about groupthink and social conventions.  Humans are social creatures, and I can relate to the intense biological drive to “fit in” and be part of a large or popular social group, but I have also found tremendous freedom by questioning social norms and checking in with myself to see what I really want, think, or feel.  Often when I have I vocalized a different viewpoint, I have found others have chimed in and agreed with me.  Mr. Tiger realized he needed to get “wild” sometimes, but he still needed his city, friends, and community. “There is a time and place for everything - even going wild”

JER: “ The Very Hungry Caterpillar ” by Eric Carle was published 50 ago, but it still feels fresh and new.  Just as my Mother - @cvalentiner - predicted on the sticker written at the baby shower before Lake was born, my kids love “putting their fingers in the holes”, and I’ve tried to “enjoy at least one thing everyday about their stage in life.”  Right now, it is a lot of unintelligible 2-year-old-screaming from Ejler (and pure joy at learning a new word) and lots of 5-year-old-irrational-whining from Lake, e.g. “I want to catch minnows, but I don’t want to get my feet wet” - today.  Offset by being able to watch Lake’s sense of humor mature, she genuinely cracks me up. There is a Stoic practice that is related to what my Mother suggested: try to imagine that each moment you experience might be your last chance to take your kids hiking, your last time to see your loved one, your last day to see your sibling, etc.  it helps me focus on living in the...

JER: “ Book of Bones ” by author Gabrielle Balkan and illustrator Sam Brewster is one of those rare books that works equally well with 2-year-olds and 5-year-olds.  Ejler (2 yr old) loves rubbing her hand over the sandpaper shaped bone structure of the animal, but she wants to quickly turn through the pages - too fast to read the detailed explanations.  Ms. Balkan may have foreseen this challenge, and helpfully provided 3 quick bullet points about each animal, which I can quickly read before Ejler turns the page.  The illustrations by Mr. Brewster allow my kids to see the exquisite bone structure of each skeleton before bringing it to life in a vivid picture of the animal in their natural habitat.  Lake (5 yr old), on the other hand, loves learning all the minute details of each animal.  We have our friend Caroline - @linebarna - to thank for this wonderful book #gift #catinchinese #mao

JER: “ Fancy Nancy’s Favorite Fancy Words ” by Jane O’Conner and Robin Preiss Glasser is part of the Fancy Nancy series that includes 80+ books. What I love about Fancy Nancy, is that she doesn’t shy away from being eloquent, and using “fancy words”. I also really appreciate the dynamic between the understated, plain parents and Fancy Nancy’s love for all things fancy and glamorous.

JER: “ I AM A CAT ” by Galia Bernstein seems very relevant for today, July 4th - American Independence Day, and it feels like an opportune way to discuss what it means to be “American”. The story is all about a domestic house cat, named Simon, who is trying to convince a group of large, wild cats that they are all part of the same big “cat family”.    The lion argues that Simon can’t be a “cat”, because lions are cats and have a mane and a tuft at the end if their tail.    Cheetah argues that cats are graceful creatures who run faster than all the other animals.    Puma argues that cats live in the mountains, leap far, jump high, and act tough.    Panther argues that cats are black and live in the Jungle.    Tiger argues that cats are very strong and very, very orange.    But Simon is able to show the large, wild cats that each of their arguments are unique to them, and they actually have a lot in common, like small...

JER: “ The Going to Bed Book” by Sandra Boynton is one of my favorite bedtime boardbooks.  It has a great rhythm, and it always makes me smile when they all “go up to exercise”.

JER: “ Big Momma Makes the World ” by author Phyllis Root and illustrator Helen Oxenbury is a re-imagination of the biblical creation story. “When Big Momma made the world, she didn’t mess around [and it w]asn’t easy, either, with that little baby sitting on her hip”. I love this book and this reinterpretation if the creation story, because it centers around the realities of being a parent.  Why did Big Momma make “earth/mud”? Because she would “need a place to put my feet down when they needed putting down [and] when that baby if hers got to growing more”. She was working hard, but all the while “laundry was piling up and the dishes needed doing.  She figured she better finish things off in one Big Bang”. But even then, Big Momma wasn’t done.  She needed some folks to keep her company.  So she scooped up some leftover mud “and the next thing you know, there were folks everywhere.  Big folks and little folks.  Fat folks and thin folks.  All k...