Dad's Bookshelf: August 2023
August is an exciting month in the world of picture books, especially for me personally, because it’s the month that a lot of the new Halloween books get released. Now that doesn’t mean that Dad’s Bookshelf is going to be all spooky books or anything like that, because I need to save some for our annual Best Halloween Picture Books of the Year list - but there is at least one I just couldn’t wait to share.
All of the books we’re going to show off this month are pretty new. The oldest of the three came out in 2022, but it’s new to us and our store, and I think it deserves a lot of love. And the other two books being featured have a good chance of making it into the Dad Suggests Picture Book Awards for this year.
The August roundup here is a pretty well-rounded month too if I do say so myself. And they’re a pretty good representation of the types of books we enjoy at Dad Suggests. We have one book that touches the heart because of its beautiful message of empathy, a very random and quirky story that’s simply entertaining and absolutely gorgeous, and a perfect combination of spooky and funny.
Of course one thing all of these books have in common is that they’re beautifully constructed - masterful combinations of words and pictures. All of them have unique and interesting art styles and all of them are simply fun to read and share with little ones. I can’t recommend them enough and I’m excited to hear what you think this month.
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 brand new releases, it’s also not uncommon for us to be excited about an older book we just discovered or rediscovered.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links that will lead you to view the books on Bookshop.org and Amazon.
Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow
Written and Illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins
The picture books in the Bruce series are all extremely funny and well made, and they have a soft spot in our heart now because our daughter recently got an easy-reader version of Bruce and loves to read it to us while she’s mastering her reading.
Of course I also have a soft spot in my heart for all things spooky and Halloween themed - especially The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. My favorite childhood show was Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and they did a particularly good Legend of Sleepy Hollow episode that makes the story very near and dear to my spooky heart.
Naturally the newest Bruce book isn’t very scary at all by any means, but it has just enough atmosphere and supernatural surprise to be perfect for the season. Bruce and friends are putting on a spooky play - much to the chagrin of the perpetually grumpy and Eeyore-esque Bruce. This is a great holiday-themed addition to the series, and - since I’m so biased towards pumpkins and ghosts - perhaps my favorite Bruce book yet.
Gibberish
Written and Illustrated by Young Vo
Gibberish is a great fit for Dad’s Bookshelf in this back-to-school month. It features a young boy named Dat going to school in a new country for the first time, and beautifully conveys how the entire world is now speaking gibberish.
At its heart, Gibberish has a sweet and powerful message of empathy - similar to The Invisible Boy or I Walk With Vanessa. It shows kids how important it can be to have someone that notices you and befriends you - and it does a wonderful job opening a window into this very challenging experience so many kids go through.
But I have to admit that my favorite part of this book is the absolutely insanely unique art style. Unexpected and spectacular in all the best ways - the art style resembles old-timey, black-and-white cartoons, and the gibberish language resembles some sort of alien emojis. This book is gorgeous, and these artistic choices perfectly convey the experience Dat is going through in an extremely thoughtful and emotional way.
Moving the Millers’ Minnie Moore Mine Mansion
Written by Dave Eggers and Illustrated by Júlia Sardà
This true story about the widow of a rich silver miner moving her mansion miles down the road by rolling it on logs perhaps seems like an odd choice for a picture book, but everything about it - including the wonderfully silly alliterative title - actually pulls together into a gorgeous and very entertaining story with a very classic picture book feel.
I brought this book in because of our love for the work of Júlia Sardà. I knew it would be gorgeous, of course, but I’m happy to report that Dave Eggers’ telling of this story is extremely delightful. And what better way to illustrate that than with the very wise opening words:
Like all of the best stories, this takes place in Idaho.
It’s hard to explain just how pleasant and agreeable it is to read this book. it’s funny, it’s quirky, it’s entertaining, it’s interesting - and Júlia Sardà is simply one of the best illustrators out there. Sometimes I just love getting my hands on a good story that’s undeniably different and unabashedly moral-less.
Have you seen any of these beautiful books yet? What books have you enjoyed lately? Let us know in the comments!
