It's been a while since our last post here at FMI but what better way to return than with a very apt post from a top scribbler, Sean Julian. What with Father's day just gone by, as also the Jubilee weekend (and should I mention the weather?) Sean's post is a very relevant one about his new book 'My Dad!'
"My new book came out a few weeks ago and its all about Dads! Bless um. The book was published by the Little Tiger Press and was written by Steve Smallman.
I thought the jumping in puddles scene would be fitting for the Jubilee weekend. I can't remember my dad ever jumping in puddles, but he did stand in the rain every winter watching me play football - But that doesn't really rhythm with 'Cuddles'."
Editorial Reviews
In this cheery tribute to fathers, a honey-colored bear cub and its father enjoy activities like bike riding, building sand castles, and acting silly together: “Some dads drink soda/ and give you a slurp,/ And then laugh out loud/ when you do a big burp!” Dads might not always be perfect (“Some dads get upset/ and start grumbling/ and stamping”), but the cub loves its father for who he is. Julian’s fluffy, smiling bears in spring-lit outdoor scenes should charm toddlers. Ages 3–7. (June)
This gently humorous look at the ways fathers are special is sure to appeal to the preschool set. Smallman uses rhyming couplets to list the wonderful things dads do: "Some dads just love to snuggle and cuddle. / Some dads join in when you jump in a puddle!" As the sing-song text covers such activities as riding a bike, building sandcastles and holding hands, Julian's painterly mix of mostly full-bleed double-page spreads and vignettes features a furry father bear and cub. The scenes where daddy bear toots in the water--with the resulting bubbles alarming the fish--and when the cub lets out "a big burp" will guarantee giggles. Yet on occasion dads may encounter some trouble: "Some dads get upset and start grumbling and stamping, / Just because they're kind of hopeless at camping!" But all is well in the end as the narrator decides, "Nobody's dad is like mine--and I'm glad. / When I'm big I want to be just like my dad!" The visuals allow young readers to enjoy spotting other animal father-child pairs, be they seagulls, snails, rabbits, crabs, porcupines or bats. A safe bet for storytimes, the large format also creates an instant intimacy that parents and children can curl up with. Sweet but not saccharine, this title covers the usual territory in a simple tribute to dads. (Picture book. 2-5)
Thanks for the great post Sean, and I for one am going to ignore the rain, and enjoy the puddles instead.
