My Dad

Rating:
Summary: With hilarious images
Review: A tribute to fathers is celebrated in Anthony Browne's My Dad, a simple picturebook story of a boy's observations of his father's abilities. Here a child's father takes on different forms as the child describes him as being 'strong as a gorilla' and 'big as a house' - with hilarious images resulting.

Rating:
Summary: My Dad's the Greatest!
Review: As a little boy tells us, "He's all right, my dad!" Dressed in blue striped pajamas and an incredibly ugly brown checked bathrobe, Dad can do it all. He can jump over the moon and walk a tightrope, wrestle with giants, win the father's race on sports day, easily and he's not afraid of anything, not even the Big Bad Wolf. He eats like a horse, swims like a fish, is as wise as an owl, except when he tries to help and he's a great dancer and brilliant singer..... Anthony Browne's wonderfully uplifting picture book looks at Dad from the adoring eyes of a child and really tells it like it is. His simple and charming text is only outdone by his humorous, expressive and clever artwork. Always dressed in PJs and robe, Dad is depicted, among other things, as a fish when he swims, a horse when he eats and one of the three tenors when he sings. Written for youngsters 3-7, My Dad also makes a perfect father's day gift that Dads will treasure. As our little narrator tells us, "I love my dad. And you know what? He loves me! (And he always will.)

Rating:
Summary: Strong Similes and Brilliant Illustrations Illuminate Father
Review: Children often see their fathers as unstoppable heroes. This book makes that case. One of the best ways to inspire a father to become even better in that role is to describe him in heroic ways. Fathers almost never see themselves in a suit of armor. But fathers will gladly wear the plating for a child, and love every moment of it. Mom or grandparents can create a lot of happiness for a father and his children by giving this book to preschoolers. Although the book is aged older by the publisher, I think it will work best for 2-5 year olds. The winning words of the text are made into brilliant images by the illustrations that take the words into a playful world of "what if."

Fathers will take heart from the way their heroism is portrayed. They get to look like themselves part of the time, in bathrobe and exaggerated smiles. When the book says that they can jump over the moon, the illustration makes it clear that this is an optical illusion helped by having the moon be low on the horizon and the father being close to the viewer. A father also becomes as big as a house (not fat, mind you) by standing very close, again, to the viewer.

But there are magical moments, when father is transformed into anthropomorphic animals wearing remnants of his normal attire. These are hilarious. I especially liked the one where dad is "as happy as a hippopotamus."

The text does have a few places where real accomplishments are needed. "He can . . . win the father's race on sports day, easily." "My dad's a great dancer, and a ballet singer." "He's fantastic at soccer . . . ." Fathers, don't be threatened by this! After all, the perspective is that of a preschooler, and you can do great things in all of those dimensions!

My favorite part of the book was the end when the child says, "I love my dad, And you know what? HE LOVE ME! (And he always will.)" This comes accompanied by a beautiful illustration of a father-child hug. Ah.

You can make this an even more special Father's Day by including more items in the book that exemplify how your child thinks her or his dad is special. If your child will make some illustrations to go with those examples, you can touch even more heart strings and make the beautiful music of familial love. Then present these drawings inside the book, as a combined gift from Mom or grandparents and the children.

"He's all right, my dad."

Happy Father's Day!

Rating:
Summary: can do anything!
Review: From the inside covers to Dad's robe to toast popping out of the toaster to showing the Big Bad Wolf the door & walking a tightrope to wrestling giants; to eating like a horse & swimming like a fish; to being as big as a house & as soft of a teddy bear, to singing brilliantly & being as wise as an owl - everything matches Dad's plaid robe, blue striped pjs & red comfy slippers.

With a smile on every page - this is a book forever - about respecting & loving, admiring & encouraging the Dads of this world to unite & win over their children's hearts.

Lovely, lovely book & oh, so true! A charming keeper!

Rating:
Summary: the librarian knows best
Review: I don't own this book. I do, however, have a 2-year old child. Recently, my daughter, along with a room filled with other 2-4 year olds, sat enthralled as this book was read to them by our local librarian. (It makes a great Father's day book!) The kids were all seated on the floor, heads all leaning in toward the librarian, pointing and giggling along with this little boy and his amazing dad. None of the children squirmed around or wandered off or turned around to annoy their little brother. Amazing! For me, that's a sign that this must be a pretty interesting book to kids. Read the other reviews for the story line but, if you're looking for a book that does a great job giving fathers everywhere their due, buy this book now.

Rating:
Summary: Simple, fit for young children. No extra message
Review: I love Anthony Brown books especially due to his amazing drawings.
In this short book (short of words, that is) it is again the drawings that do the work.
Each page presents the father as another animal figure dressed in Dad's pajamas, depicting all the animal' s great qualities.
The pictures are great as usual, but something is missing. It seems that there are no "further layers" as you get for example in Anthony Brown's "Gorilla", a book which I feel is a real masterpiece. In that book, every reading brings something new when the little details of the drawings offer another aspect, another small joke and all in all add to the reading of the story, which becomes a real "experience" both child and parent can enjoy. This does not really happen in "My Dad".
The only "something else" I found in "My Dad" is the fact that the father, although described by the son as a superhuman figure, is presented very humanly in each page. Always in his pajamas with his unshaven face - which makes him ever so dear and easy to identify with.
I read the book to my 2.5 year old son who enjoys the book and its simplistic message. My disappointment is not because this is not a worthy book. It is. I was just hoping for another masterpiece...


Rating:
Summary: Just buy it
Review: My grandson lives a long ways from me. He spent a couple weeks w/me while his parents went on vacation. We read this book every night and he loved it so that he could finish all the sentences on the pages. When he went back home, he could talk w/me on the phone and I'd start the sentence and he would finish it. It made a great bond for us and somehow made the miles seem shorter. He's only 1 1/2 years old and I miss so much. Maybe thru this book he won't forget me!

Rating:
Summary: fantastic book
Review: My grandson lives a long ways from me. He spent a couple weeks w/me while his parents went on vacation. We read this book every night and he loved it so that he could finish all the sentences on the pages. When he went back home, he could talk w/me on the phone and I'd start the sentence and he would finish it. It made a great bond for us and somehow made the miles seem shorter. He's only 1 1/2 years old and I miss so much. Maybe thru this book he won't forget me!

Rating:
Summary: Just buy it
Review: Some things in life are best kept simple. This book does it. For any son that loves his father (uh...provided they are under the age of 10)

Rating:
Summary: Good Humored Happy Tribute to Dad
Review: This is a fantastic book, especially to give dad on Father's Day or his birthday. It is a charming tribute to the daddy who is the funniest, nicest, strongest, bravest and just plain best in the eyes of his little girl or boy. It is good humored and happy, written in a style children find very appealing.