Father-Son, Daddy-Daughter Literary Match-ups...

Books teach us a lot about Father/Son and Daddy/Daughter relationships.  Here's a look at some of my favorites...

FAVORITE FATHER-SON BOOKS
Picture Book:

Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino. All week long, a boy and his father look forward to their Friday ritual - breakfast together at their favorite diner. The leisurely walk through the neighborhood is just as good as the pancakes at the end.

Chapter Book:

Little Britches, Father and I Were Ranchers by Ralph Moody.  My favorite chapter book Father/Son relationship. The main theme of the book is the deep love and trust between a father and son, with some humor, lots of hard work, school mischief, a tornado, horses, cowboys, and roundups thrown in. Boys, especially, will love this book. (Go here for my full review.)

FAVORITE DADDY-DAUGHTER BOOKS
Picture Book: It's a tie between two picture books about Dads who would do just about anything to get something their daughters really want...

Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me by Eric Carle.  Monica's father finds a way to get her the moon.  Great book (written by Carle for his own daughter) - with a little science lesson thrown in!

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems.  In spite of Trixie's babbling, her Daddy doesn't give up and finally discovers where she left her precious bunny.  He becomes her hero.

Chapter Book:

Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Pa loved all his daughters, but had a special with Laura, his little "Half Pint".  Maybe because they both had brown eyes?

ALL-TIME GREATEST LITERARY DADS (FOR BOTH SONS AND DAUGHTERS!)

Picture Book Winner:

The picture book father I want to highlight today isn't even human!

Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle.  A daddy seahorse swims around with his egg babies in his pouch belly, waiting for them to hatch and meeting lots of other caring fathers along the way.

Chapter Book Winner:
My favorite chapter book father will always be linked to Gregory Peck, who brought him to life for us all in the film...

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  Widowed father, Atticus Finch is a very exceptional Dad and humble example to his children Scout and Gem.

source

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

PAST FATHER'S DAY POSTS:

• Picture books honoring Military Fathers - here.
• "A Father Who Loved Trains" - here.
• Board Books - "Hugs for Dad" - here.
• For Dads (and Grandpas) who love Baseball - here.
• Favorite Literary Fathers - here.

Supertruck to the Rescue!!!!!!

Among my grandson's favorite things right now is a set of matchbox cars and trucks that belonged to my own sons when they were his age.

Ironically, my daughter found the matchbox cars the same week she checked out a new library book that has become another of my grandson's current favorites: Supertruck, by Stephen Savage...

The city is full of brave trucks who help put out fires and fix power lines.

But the garbage truck?  He just collects the trash (and bears an uncanny resemblance to "Clark Kent" - must be the glasses).

When the city is hit by a terrible blizzard, only one superhero can save the day..."Supertruck", who emerges from his secret garage transformed!

Author/illustrator Stephen Savage's simple and colorful style is so much fun!  We love his illustrations for Margaret Wise Brown's The Father's Are Coming Home (which, by the way, is perfect for Father's Day, coming up at the end of this month.)

A few mornings ago, I had to laugh as my two-and-a-half-year-old grandson greeted me with,

 "Hey Grandma - look at my Bucket Truck!"  

Not quite sure what a "bucket truck" was, I looked questioningly at my daughter, and she pointed to the new library book.  Right there in the story was a bucket truck - green like my grandson's - one of the characters in the book!

Lately Supertruck's friend, Bucket Truck, has been accompanying my grandson everywhere: while eating, doing crafts, building "power lines" with his blocks, riding in the car... everywhere!

Great rescue, Supertruck!  Your story is keeping my grandson's imagination alive and his little hands busy!  (Hmm, I guess I'll have to edit my previous post about "Planes, Trains, and Things that Roar" to include "Trucks", too!)

Hugs and Kisses for Military Fathers

The two books I'll be highlighting today are perfect for Father's Day, but especially for military dads and families - to whom I dedicate this post.

As the daughter of a man who travelled a lot because of his tireless vocation in church ministry,  I can relate to children of military dads. Their fathers are missed terribly during prolonged and frequent absences, but are greeted with insurmountable joy at their homecomings!

My own son-in-law, having recently joined the Naval Reserves, was away from my daughter and grandson and his family for three months during Boot Camp.  Their happy reunion was full of tears and smiles, as well as relief and exhaustion, after an acknowledgement of hard work, sacrifice, and a job well done was showered upon the graduates at their Pass and Review ceremony when Boot Camp was finally over.

Any parent who travels for work, or reunites with their family at the end of a long workday, can relate to these emotions in microcosm - so I think all parents and young children will love these book recommendations!

The first book is The Fathers Are Coming Home, by Margaret Wise Brown.  She wrote it between 1942-43 for WWII soldiers, but it was only recently published (2010). The illustrations are by Steven Savage.  I blogged about this book in the past, here. (My little grandson actually gave this book to his Daddy after Boot Camp graduation, for an early Father's Day gift.)

I absolutely love Savage's linoleum block print illustrations in this story that begins with fathers coming home at nightfall - fish fathers, bug fathers, dog fathers, bird fathers, and snail fathers (my grandson's favorite), to name a few - and ends with a boy's father, who is a sailor, coming home from sea.

The second book I'm sharing with you today is Catching Kisses (2103) by Amy Gibson.  My daughter found this book recently at the library, and we both were reminded of The Father's Are Coming Home.  We fell in love with Maria Van Lieshout's wonderfully detailed silhouette illustrations.

This story is about kisses and their journey all across America - your children are bound to recognize a few of the places that the kisses land in!  "At any given moment, someone, somewhere is blowing a kiss.  And somewhere, someone is catching it..."

Hints are given in the lyrical text (but there's also a map with locations on the back end page): "Some are velvet as peach fuzz. Some tickle like whiskers. Everyday, everywhere, kisses are flying..."

Kisses are meant to be caught and when you catch them, they stay with you always!
So whether you're a father at home, or afar, "Happy Father's Day!"

FAVORITE LITERARY FATHERS

Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance. 

~Ruth E. Renkel 

Hop On Pop (Dr. Seuss)

As a follow-up to my Mother's Day "Most Memorable Literary Mothers", here are my Favorite Literary Fathers from children's literature...

My Top 10, in no particular order:

Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)

I just had to post this wonderful photo of Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch
from the film Adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird [source]

"Atticus, he was real nice" 

"Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them." 

"Papa" from Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me (Eric Carle)

But no matter how much she stretched, she could not touch the moon.
"Papa", said Monica to her father, "please get the moon for me."

 "Here", said Papa to Monica.  "I have the Moon for you."

Charles Ingalls, "Pa", from the Little House books (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

Art by Helen Sewell, 1940 - source

"It can't beat us!" Pa said. 

"Can't it, Pa?" Laura asked stupidly. 

"No," said Pa. "It's got to quit sometime and we don't. It can't lick us. 
We won't give up." 

Then Laura felt a warmth inside her. It was very small but it was strong. It was steady, like a tiny light in the dark, and it burned very low but no winds could make it flicker because it would not give up.

King Babar, Father of triplets! from Babar and His Children (Jean de Brunhoff)

Babar was peacefully fishing and thought the children were playing. As he hears this desperate cry for help, he understands that something serious must have happened. He stands up and trumpets angrily when he sees the horrible crocodile...

Now everyone is asleep. Babar and Celeste will go to bed too. They are gradually calming down after all these exciting events.

"Truly it is not easy to bring up a family," sighs Babar. "But how nice the babies are! I wouldn't know how to get along without them anymore."

The Daddy from Knuffle Bunny (Mo Willems)

"Trixie and her daddy went down the street, through the park, past the school, and into the laundromat...But on the way home, Trixie realized something..."

Mr. Weasley, from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (J.K. Rowling)

source

Ron: "Yeah, Dad's crazy about everything to do with Muggles; our shed's full of Muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on it, and puts it back together again. If he raided our house he'd have to put himself under arrest. It drives Mum mad." 

Frank B. Gilbreth Sr, "Dad", in Cheaper by the Dozen (Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey)

"Dad took moving pictures of us children washing dishes, so that he could figure out how we could reduce our motions and thus hurry through the task. Irregular jobs, such as painting the back porch or removing a stump from the front lawn, were awarded on a low-bid basis. Each child who wanted extra pocket money submitted a sealed bid saying what he would do the job for. The lowest bidder got the contract." 

Mr. Moody -"Father"- from Little Britches, Father and I Were Ranchers (Ralph Moody)

"I wish I knew how Father was able to say things so as to make you remember every word of it. If I could remember everything the way I remember the things Father told me, maybe I could be as smart a man as he was." (read my post about this wonderful book here.)

Captain Crewe, "Papa", from A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett)

Illustration by Ethel Franklin Betts

Then he went with Sara into her little sitting-room and they bade each other good-by. Sara sat on his knee and held the lapels of his coat in her small hands, and looked long and hard at his face. 

 “Are you learning me by heart, little Sara,” he said, stroking her hair. 

 “No,” she answered. “I know you by heart. You are inside my heart.” 

And they put their arms round each other and kissed as if they would never let each other go. 

Mr. Penderwick from The Penderwicks Series (Jeanne Birdsall)

“...even a tiny bit of deceit is dishonorable when it's used for selfish or cowardly reasons." 

 - Mr. Penderwick”

"HAPPY FATHERS DAY!", and thanks again to all my Facebook followers for your wonderful recommendations!

It was so hard to pick my Top 10 Literary Dads - here are a few more fathers that I had to give an "Honorable Mention" to:
Lavrans Bjorgulfsson, Kristin Lavransdatter's father (trilogy by Sigrid Undset).  Was there ever a more long suffering father? If you've not read this series, set in medieval Norway, put it on your summer reading list! (YA-Adult Fiction)

Mr. March, "Father" from Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) Because of the war, he's an "absentee father" for much of the book, adored by his wife and daughters;

Carson Drew,"Dad", from the Nancy Drew series - a widower and respected lawyer - he often enlists Nancy's sleuthing help with his cases.
Mr. Bennet, from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice - his style is a bit sarcastic and passive aggressive, but seriously, considering he had to manage a household of five girls and one ridiculous wife, he did pretty well, don't you think?

These Dads might make next year's list:
William, the imperfect father from Danny the Champion of the World (Roald Dahl) - I can't personally recommend this book until I've read it (not sure how I missed it, since my oldest son is a huge fan of anything by Mr. Dahl!).  It was nominated by My Book Corner. You can read an interesting and comprehensive review of the book here by Mari Ness at tor.com.
Moominpappa (The Moomin Dad) from Tove Jansson's Moomin series.  I have got to get my hands on these books - have had them recommended so many times!

My Real Life Dad:
This post is dedicated to my own father, who passed away ago barely one year ago.  You can read my tribute to him, here.  An author, editor, musician, and priest, he was first of all a devoted husband to my mom and a loving dad to me and my five siblings.  A list of his books can be found here on Amazon.

HUGS FOR DADS!

There are lots of ways that parents nurture and hug their offspring -- not just with arms! But no matter how the embrace is made, one thing remains the same: all hugs are given with love.  Told in sweet rhyme with soft pictures: hugs with noses (elephants) and hugs in red roses (ladybugs) show that from the largest animals to the small bug, hugs are important to all! This sturdy board book (best for toddlers) shows how all sorts of animals express affection for one another. I love this little book for Father's Day, because even though it's about all kinds creatures, the last page shows a Dad hugging his child. (Written by Lorie Ann Grove and illustrated by Rebecca Malone)

If you'd like to read my post about Father's Day choices for older readers and Dads-who-love-baseball, CLICK HERE.   Last year I posted "Celebrating Dads", with a variety of picture books for kids up to age 8.  Another great Father's Day book is THE FATHERS ARE COMING HOME, from my recent post about Margaret Wise Brown.

The board book choices listed below are more great stories for First-Time Dads or any Dads with children, ages baby-4 years old:


DADDY HUGS

DADDY KISSES

DADDY CUDDLES

SOME BASEBALL STORIES THAT WILL HAVE YOU YEARNING FOR THE PAST

Click HERE to read a quick history of this 1908 classic song.

READ ALOUD GRANDPAS AND DADS: Father's Day is this month, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share some exceptional (and nostalgic) baseball stories with you. And you Moms/Grandmas out there who don't quite get the obsession with our National Pastime - maybe you'll understand it a little better after reading these enlightening books...

The original lyrics of TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME, written by Jack Norworth, begin with a little known verse:

"Katie Casey was baseball mad.  Had the fever and had it bad..."

This fictional female character inspired the fun historical picture book Players in Pigtails, when its author, Shana Corey, was doing research on female baseball players after seeing the movie, A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN.  In the book, no team will let Katie play.  It's WWII, and the men have all gone off to war, so the coaches decide to start a women's baseball league.  Illustrator Rebecca Gibbon did a great job bringing the style of the 1940's to the page! (grades K-3)

3 Great Baseball Books written and illustrated by Matt Tavares... these make perfect read alouds for dads/grandpas who want to share their love of baseball with their kids/grandchildren.  I think you'll love Matt's old-fashioned style - you might even blink back a couple of tears...

Zachary's Ball  Zachary goes with his father to his first baseball game - at Fenway Park.  When his dad catches a pop fly ball and hands it to him, Zachary is instantly transported to the mound as a pitcher for Boston!  He strikes a player out and the Red Sox win the game. When the catcher returns the ball, Zachary is suddenly back in his seat. He tells his father that the baseball is magic and his father replies, "They're all magic." After writing his name on the ball, Zachary sleeps with it every night, but eventually the ball disappears.  Years later, as an adult, walking past Fenway, he catches an over-the-wall home run.  He thinks he sees his name on it, but the letters disappear.  He gives it to a girl walking by with her father, telling her that all baseballs are magic.

Oliver's Game  Like Players in Pigtails, this touching book, set in the 1940's, has baseball interconnecting with WWII history.  In his grandfather's memorabilia shop near Wrigley Field, a young boy named Oliver (named after his grandfather) discovers an old Chicago CUBS uniform.  After questioning his grandfather about it, he not only learns that the uniform belongs to his grandfather, but that the elder Oliver gave up a chance to try out for the Cubs' team when he enlisted in the Marines after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  This touching tribute to baseball has a sweet ending, when it is revealed that the grandfather - who suffered a career-ending injury in the war - found another way to feel part of the game and be close to his team.

Mudball  "A lighthearted picture-book romp based on baseball's shortest home run. In 1903, Andy Oyler hit the only home run of his entire career, but it's the subject of a much-loved baseball legend. Tavares casts his hero as the classic underdog: Oyler's the shortest player in the league, and he's trying to overcome a batting slump and the heckling of fans. As he steps to the plate on a cold, drizzly day, he represents the Minneapolis Millers' last hope. The drizzle becomes a downpour, but the umpire, believing that the batter stands a good chance of making the final out, lets play continue. Oyler somehow connects with the ball, which then gets lost in the wet, muddy infield. Tavares hilariously details the ensuing chaotic play as fielders scramble to find it and the batter makes his way around the bases..." -Library School Journal.

MORE BOOKS FOR FAMILIES WHO LOVE BASEBALL:

Curious George at the Baseball Game, Margaret & H.A. Rey (4-8)  George is off to watch a game at Mudville Field...you know he'll do more than watch!

The Babe and I  by David A. Adler, illustrated by Terry Widener (K-3)  Babe Ruth makes an appearance in this book about a boy and his family in the Bronx, as they struggle through the Great Depression.

Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888, by Ernest L. Thayer, illustrated by C.F. Payne (grades K-4)  The stylish caricatures that accompany this well known ballad are full of personality and charm.

Thank you, Jackie Robinson by Barbara Cohen (ages 9-12)  This compelling novel isn't just about baseball, but about the warm friendship between a 10-year-old Jewish boy named Sam and an older African American man.  This man, Davy, is a cook at Sam's mother's New Jersey inn.  It's 1947, and they both love the Brooklyn Dodgers.  And they both love Jackie Robinson.  Davy is a cook at Sam's mother's inn.  When Davy has a heart attack, Sam musters up his courage and gets past many obstacles to get Jackie Robinson's autograph on a baseball for Davy, somehow convinced that the ball with make him better.