Dads Read Too

JER: 2021 was filled with a lot of great books that got me through the year, here are a few of my favorites I read in 2021.   "Penguin Problems" became a family mantra.  Did we feel impatient while waiting in line for pastries?!?  Was the temperature less than ideal?  Penguin Problems.  It always helped us recalibrate and realize that we were having emotions and experiences, but they didn't need to ruin the moment.                1. " Penguin Problem s" by author Jory John and illustrator Lane Smith                  2. " Nobody Likes a Goblin " by Ben Hatke                   3. " Little Bird's Bad Word " by Jacob Grant                 4. " Small Knight and the Anxiety Monster " by Manka Kasha               5. " Grumpy Monkey " by author Suzanne Lang and il...

  JER: “ Life as a MINI HERO ” by Olivier Tallec perfectly captures the righteous indignation of children. Parents may kindly request that their kids “try wearing something different today”, only to be rebuffed that the only appropriate attire is “my Sparkly Dress, thank you very much, DAD!!” - maybe Ejler has been attached to her Sparkly Dress for reasons other than FASHION, perhaps she was a MINI HERO this entire time. You may ask them to hurry while crossing the street, while our children respond “Mini Heroes can be really slow because of the many traps they have to avoid, the number of rivers they have to cross, and the many building they have to climb.” Maybe I have been upset about all the wrong behaviors: I should embrace ONE OUTFIT and SLOW MY PACE down to become a MINI HERO, too! (Originally posted on Instagram on 20 October 2021)

  JER: “ Julia’s House For Lost Creatures ” by Ben Hatke is a magical tale about hospitality and responsibility. Every lost creature should have a home, especially when the “city [tears] down [the very sad troll’s] bridge”, but if y’all share a home there should probably be a “chore chart”, too. BONUS: the sequel: “Julia’s House Moves On” was released last year and “Julia’s House Goes Home” was released this year. (Originally published on Instagram on 09 December 2021)

  JER: “Grumpy Monkey” by author Suzanne Lang and illustrator Max Lang is great for discussing emotions. Sometimes it is hard to recognize emotions or understand why we may be experiencing them. I’m a grown-ass-man and I still struggle with it. Helping your children or any child realize they will have emotions and thoughts interrupt their day, whether those emotions/thoughts were cultivated, expected, random chance, or something else entirely, is a great step towards emotional maturity. (Originally published on Instagram on 19 August 2021)

  JER: “ Little Bird’s BAD WORD ” by Jacob Grant is a very helpful exploration of words, of how they can be cathartic, how they can be powerful, and how they can be hurtful. I also love that the bad word is “BLARK”, because language is a strange social construct. It isn’t something we are born understanding or knowing. We all need to figure out through experience which words and what language is appropriate and inappropriate for any given situation. Words matter because they have an impact regardless of intention. (Originally published on Instagram on 03 August 2021)

  JER: “ Small Knight and the Anxiety Monster ” by Manka Kasha is about expectations and anxiety. “The king and queen hoped their child would be a proper princess. But that wasn’t what Small Knight wanted at all!” Slowly the pressure of Proper Princess Lessons, crowded meetings, and parental discouragement of their adventures with Tiny Bear grew into an Anxiety Monster. “I don’t want to wait in the tower. I want to be the one to save me.” Small Knight visited Wise Owl, Big Bear, Queen of the Moths, and Dragon to learn about the Anxiety Monster. (Posted on Instagram 05 October 2021)

JER: “ How to Catch a Mouse ” by Philippa Leathers is a book my kids really loved.  It made them giggle, but more importantly it made them feel smart, because they were able to be “in on the joke”.  The author masterfully carries the reader through all of “Clemmie’s” (CAT) emotions of confidence, self-importance, and confusion as she tries unsuccessfully to “spot a mouse” with the clues in her guidebook.  The only problem is that someone else was doing their homework, and figured out how to hide in plain sight . . .