Dad's Bookshelf: December 2023
It’s the very last edition of Dad’s Bookshelf for 2023, and I think we’re finishing the year off very strong. These three picture books are in serious consideration for next month’s Dad Suggests Picture Book Awards, and there’s probably a good chance you’ve seen them being advertised around social media recently.
There are a few artists being featured here that are household favorites for us as well - particularly Oliver Jeffers and Sara O’Leary. Those two authors have a proven track record over the years cranking out picture books that we love every single time. Which of course means I’m very excited to show off and talk about their latest creations.
The three books we’re showing off are Begin Again, The Little Books of the Little Brontës, and Tooth Mouse Pérez - and one thing that makes me very happy about this set of books is their focus on storytelling. The power and importance of storytelling has always been a soft spot for me, and a surefire way to capture my heart and my interest. And these books all highlight that important magic in their own way.
One book approaches storytelling from a global perspective, and ponders how the stories we tell ourselves create our identities and our futures. One explores how imagination and stories can build a happy life, and how vitally important they can be for a magic childhood. And the last book is just a good old-fashioned fairy tale itself, and explores how famous children’s stories can differ from country to country.
I hope you enjoy discovering these new books as much as I did, and that this final edition of Dad’s Bookshelf for 2023 proves to be a fun and useful one. Happy New Year to all of you and see you in 2024!
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.
Begin Again
Written and Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
As an artist, Oliver Jeffers sometimes creates for kids and sometimes for adults, and sometimes it’s hard for me to tell who is actually supposed to enjoy the art more.
When he drifts into the realms of geopolitics and climate change and other similar issues (as is the case with Begin Again) it’s tempting to assume that adults will appreciate it more than kids will. But that’s not to say that I don’t think kids will enjoy it or that I don’t think it’s important to share it with them. In fact, I think Begin Again would be a very smart book to share with kids to lead thoughtful classroom conversations.
The book explores where we’ve come from as a species and questions where we are going. It questions our motivations and our relationships with others. And it’s a very thoughtful and moving piece of art - particularly if you want to talk with kids about protecting our planet and motivate them to live a good life.
I also very much enjoy the poem that Jeffers includes in the back of the book, as well as the thoughtful essay that very eloquently describes his motivations as a human and an artist and a dad. This is a well crafted work of art and a must-have for Oliver Jeffers fans.
The Little Books of the Little Brontës
Written by Sara O’Leary and Illustrated by Briony May Smith
I’ve been a big fan of Sara O’Leary ever since I wrote about This is Sadie, and I’ve enjoyed every single picture book she’s made since. Which means at this point I’ll bring in any picture book she puts out sight unseen.
With that said, this is an example of a book I’m not sure would have been on my radar if it weren’t for Sara O’Leary being the creator. What I mean is, I’m not entirely sure a biography of the Brontës would have caught my eye otherwise. But I’m very glad it was O’Leary who wrote it and that I brought it in for my kids and for the shop, because naturally I love it.
And I think it’s still mostly correct to call it a picture book biography, although it focuses on multiple characters and very specifically on one element of their childhood - storytelling. I really love that O’Leary chose to focus the book on the magic of the storytelling and imagination in their lives, despite all of the untimely tragedy they faced. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to being blindsided by so many tragic deaths!
I certainly learned a lot about the family that I didn’t know, and enjoyed the timeline and the author’s note in the back quite a bit. And the instructions for making your own little books is a very nice touch. That kind of inspiration for kids ties the whole thing together quite well.
And I must point out that the pairing with Briony May Smith as the illustrator is brilliant. The first book that pops into my head when I think of Briony May Smith is perhaps Margaret’s Unicorn - a story of love and loss and imagination about a little girl running around the countryside with a unicorn. And in many ways this book about the Brontës has many of the same feelings.
Tooth Mouse Pérez
Written by Ana Cristina Herreros and Illustrated by Violeta Lópiz
This book is beautifully and whimsically illustrated by Violeta Lópiz, and Ana Cristina Herreros weaves together a fantastically entertaining story about children losing their teeth. And truthfully I don’t know how much of the story she embellished or made up and how much of it is well-known tradition - but it doesn’t matter one bit because it was 100% new to us.
And that’s the funny thing, because apparently the name Tooth Mouse Pérez, who I’ve never heard of once in my entire life, is so well known in Spain and Mexico and other countries that it would be the same as writing a picture book called Tooth Fairy in the US. But I know absolutely nothing about the “history” of the Tooth Fairy, and it makes me wonder if children in Spain are familiar with the actual story of Tooth Mouse Pérez or not.
By far my favorite part of the book is the description of what kids used to do when they lose a tooth - go outside, make a wish, turn around, and throw their tooth onto the roof for the tooth mice to get. I’m desperate to know if anyone still does this, and if kids are familiar with this old tradition. And I love that you have to give your child’s tooth to the mouse so that your adult tooth will grown in.
This book even explains who the Tooth Fairy is and where she came from. Apparently she’s the child of a mouse and an ant, which is why she has the wings of an ant and can fly. Then she moved to the US. Like I said, I know absolutely nothing about the history of the Tooth Fairy, so I’m ready to accept this as fact.
This is a brilliant blend of fiction and nonfiction. In some ways it’s teaching about real cultural traditions, but more than anything it’s like a good old-fashioned fairy tale itself. It’s an entertaining and engaging story, and it looks fantastic. This is the type of book that’s a joy to share with kids - partly because it’s absurd, partly because it’s different, but mostly because it’s fun.
Have you read any of these 3 books? What books have you been enjoying this month? Let us know in the comments!
