Dads Read Too

JER: “ Red Wagon ” by Renata Liwska is a book that took a while to grow on me.  The text is very simple and matter-of-fact: “That sounded like a chore.  Lucy didn’t want to do chores.”  Over time, this book reminded me of how consequential experiences felt as a child.  Every chore felt monumental, every hill seemed to be insurmountable, being outside in any rain felt like a torrential downpour, and I would be quickly overwhelmed with how dry and hot it was once the rain stopped (as if I had just forgotten the rain).  One of my favorite things about being a parent is the opportunity to witness my kids experience something for the first time.  Everything is an adventure, until you gain enough experience.  But I hope I can emulate my kids more and never lose my sense of wonder and excitement for life.  

JER: “ The Hobbit ” by J.R.R. Tolkien was really fun to revisit as an adult, and reconsider the messages as a parent.  I was worried it might be too heavy, or dark for my seven-year-old, Lake, but she loved it, and didn’t absorb any fear of the dark, Trolls, Goblins, Wargs, or Gollum.  My three-year-old, Ejler, had a hard time following it or enjoying it, but wasn’t otherwise affected by it.  What stood out to me most profoundly this reading was the effects of Greed and Tribalism.  I easily saw the increasingly wealthy 1% personified in the dragon Smaug - hoarding wealth to sleep on it.  The Dwarves, the Wood-Elves, and Lake People were only able to look past their Tribalism when they were faced with a sufficiently large and dangerous threat, being overrun by an overwhelming host of Goblins.  Bilbo Baggins was willing to give up his 1/14th share of the treasure to broker peace between the parties, but even giving up the Arkenstone might not have been enough...

JER: “ Penguin Problems ” by author Jory John and illustrator Lane Smith feels relevant for our times, i.e. a pandemic, collapsed economy, and political/social polarization.  It is easy for my mind to gravitate to despair and pinpointing all the reasons to be pessimistic about life right now.  But there are always reasons to be grateful.  As the walrus says, “I wouldn’t trade my life for any other”. • A gift from my Mother

JER: “Duck! Rabbit!” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Tom Lichtenheld masterfully displays the connection between perspective and cognitive bias.  The human brain is a magical meaning-making machine.  As explained by the books “The Righteous Mind” and “Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)” , the human brain is programmed to react based on emotions and justify those actions to convince ourselves that we have made the right decisions.   I want to believe that “free will” exists, and that I am in control of my decisions, but there is growing research that helps demonstrate that humans can see, think, and feel that mutually exclusive realities exist based on their perspectives.  The 2020 Presidential Election is an example.  Some people, government officials included, claim that there was rampant, significant voter fraud that “stole” the election.  Other people, government officials included, claim that the election was the “most secure in history” . This event s...

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...