Dad's Bookshelf: April 2020
Social distancing continues around the world for the coronavirus pandemic, and whether you view the extra time at home with your family as a blessing or a curse, we can all at least agree that the extra time exists. Hopefully you really have found more time to sit with your kids and read some new stories or some old favorites, and hopefully the books on Dad’s Bookshelf this month can give you a few ideas for what to read next.
The entire world lost a great man last month in the celebrated author/illustrator Tomie DePaola, and we gathered together all of his books that we had to share with our kids that night. I also found myself reading a lot about this incredible man, and researching his life’s work, and that’s when I stumbled upon an interesting-sounding book that I didn’t know existed: Oliver Button is a Sissy.
Suffice it to say that I fell in love with DePaola’s book - more about that below - and it’s definitely sitting proudly on dad’s bookshelf now. The choice of the title is striking, and surprising, and even questionable. But there’s no doubt that DePaola himself put a lot of thought into his title, and set out to write a very powerful book with a beautiful and important message.
Alongside Oliver Button is a Sissy are two other books we discovered recently, including a brand new offering from family-favorite Kim Smith - the creator of the beloved Pop Classics series - called Boxitects. Even knowing very little about the book, there was no doubt in my mind that anything combining the art of Kim Smith with a story about a child’s creativity and imagination had a very good chance to be popular with us.
And the final book on Dad’s Bookshelf this month is a picture book called Ghosts from several years back that we only recently discovered. It was originally published in France in 2001, and then translated into English in 2013. And one glance at the cover told me this book was for us. It seems to have flown under the radar, which is a shame that hopefully can be rectified. Ghosts is brilliantly creative, very attractive, and speaks loudly to fans of spooky things like us.
Hopefully Dad’s Bookshelf helps you discover a new story your family can enjoy together. You can find them at your local library, if it’s still open for business, or at your bookshop of choice. I’ve seen several local bookshops offering delivery or even curbside pickup - so support your favorite if you can!
Dad’s Bookshelf is a continuing, monthly series featuring the kids books we are most excited about each month. The series is named after the real life bookshelf we have in our home, where I keep all of my favorite picture books of all time. While the books we share on Dad’s Bookshelf are often new releases, it’s also not uncommon for us to be excited about an older book we just discovered.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links that will lead you to view the books’ listings on Amazon or IndieBound.
Ghosts
Written by Sonia Goldie and Illustrated by Marc Boutavant
This is one of those books that’s obviously perfectly suited for my family. You know I’ve always loved spooky themes in kids books, and luckily my children like scary stories too. Ghosts is simply a perfect picture book for us.
I love the way it’s organized as a tour of the different ghosts around the house - the bathroom ghost, the basement ghost, the television ghost. It’s almost like an encyclopedia of the most creative ghosts ever invented. Some of the ghosts are funny and some can be quite scary, especially with a strong, young imagination thinking about them.
It’s also incredibly difficult to put into words the charm of the illustrations. The details are overflowing from this book. Even the use of the text and font is clever. It’s all very quirky and fantastically original. It was crafted with a lot of care, and the character shines very bright.
Oliver Button is a Sissy
Written and Illustrated by Tomie DePaola
As I wrote above, I was taken aback by the title of this book. But I also think it’s very clear what kind of story DePaola was going to write with a title like this. And the subject matter was in very good hands, because DePaola tells Oliver’s story in a way that inevitably brings a tear to my eye. And I love the fact that this progressive book came out all the way back in 1979.
Oliver Button doesn’t like doing the things that boys are “supposed to do”. That’s actually a great use of words, as it calls attention to the frustrating expectations of society. This is obviously a topic I’ve thought about for a long time, as you might have seen before in our review of the amazing book Pink is for Boys.
The bullying in this book can actually be hard to read. It’s very sad to see the way Oliver is treated for dancing. But Oliver pursues his dreams despite how he’s treated. It’s heartbreaking the way his own father adds to the problem, very much like the father in the classic movie Billy Elliot. And much like that great movie, the ending and the message for kids to follow their dreams is spectacular.
Boxitects
Written and Illustrated by Kim Smith
This is a very new picture book and it has been on my radar since the day I saw it announced. The fact that it was created by Kim Smith had my attention because we are such gigantic fans of the Pop Classics series - where Smith illustrates picture book versions of classic movies like Back to the Future and Home Alone.
On top of that, the cover and the title made it quite clear what the theme was going to be here - using cardboard boxes and your imagination to make your own creations. With our big focus on imagination around here, this was an obvious choice to preorder and get our hands on as fast as possible.
And I’m happy to report that it’s been a big success around here. The story is actually about two boxitects that are used to working alone, but have to learn how to work together. Our son is a very big fan. He’s always wanted to be an inventor, and he’s been spending most of his days during the quarantine looking up different crafts he can do. The concept of being a boxitect obviously spoke to him quite a bit.
Have you read any of this month’s books on Dad’s Bookshelf yet? What have you been reading with your family lately? Let us know in the comments!
