April 17, 2017
This warmhearted tribute to fathers, originally published in Australia, highlights the distinctive personalities of a group of anthropomorphic animal parents. “There are some dads who worry./ And some dads who hurry./ And some dads who get lost on the way,” writes Bland as an elephant father fills a swimming pool with life preservers while his daughter prepares to dive in, polar bears race downhill on skis, and a pair of marooned cows clings to a buoy under a night sky. With lively humor and sensitivity, Bland suggests that, while no two dads are exactly the same, they’re united by their love for their children. Ages 3–6.
April 1, 2017
A rhyming celebration of the way dads are different from one another."There are some dads who worry. // And some dads who hurry. // And some dads who get lost on the way." Bland's illustrations feature expressive anthropomorphic animals and expand significantly on the clipped text (especially beneficial as the Australian creator's rhymes can be iffy with an American accent: "sporty" with "naughty"). The worrier (an elephant) fills a pool with red-and-white-striped life rings while his daughter stands on the diving board. The hurrying polar bear bombs down a hill on skis, his little one atop his back. And the two Holsteins who are lost cling to a buoy, their map blowing away. The naughty dad (a sheep) plays with water balloons in the house, and the peacock's brilliant plumage brightens his chick's rainy day. Unfortunately reinforcing a sedentary lifestyle, the sporty frog dad, though wearing sweat bands and with a badminton racket and birdie near, is playing a video game with his child (a small frog, not a tadpole). And the ending is rather flat: "Some dads are loud. / And all dads are proud. // And you'll never forget which is yours." The simultaneously publishing Some Moms is similarly structured and ends, "All moms solve problems in their own special way. // A day spent with Mom is a wonderful day."Pretty light fare to share with tots noticing differences among dads. (Picture book. 3-6)
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July 1, 2017
This pair of picture books features animal parents and their young engaging in humanlike parent-and-child activities. General statements--"there are some dads who worry"; "some moms are tough"--are expanded by scenes illustrating each type of parent. The pictures seem conjured to fit the rhyme rather than a connecting theme, but an up-tempo rhythm makes for a quick and pleasant-enough read-aloud.
(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)