Dad's Bookshelf: February 2020
Judging by the books on Dad’s Bookshelf this month, it seems that I must be in a very contemplative mood lately. All three of these picture books appeal to that artistic, philosophical side of me that enjoys having a good long think.
They also truly manage to hit both ends of the emotional spectrum as well. One of the stories is one of the biggest tearjerkers I’ve ever read, while another manages to bring quite a bit of levity to its deep philosophy. And you know I’m a fan of sharing books that run the gamut of emotions with the kids.
These three picture books have been sitting proudly on Dad’s Bookshelf recently, and, even though none of them are brand new, I’ve been obsessing over them quite a bit lately. And I think they’re very much worth obsessing over.
I love sharing good art with our children, and these picture books were crafted by incredibly talented and thoughtful artists. Depending on what you and your kids are into, and what kind of story you need in your life right now, I think there’s a good chance you’ll find something truly special here.
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 post are affiliate links. Clicking on those links will lead you to view the books’ listings on Amazon or IndieBound.
Lost & Found
Written and Illustrated by Shaun Tan
Shaun Tan’s imagination is an absolute delight. I first discovered him through his book The Arrival, and afterwards I realized just how many other beautiful books he has made. I’ve been playing catch up with his work ever since, and Lost & Found is a great place to start if you need to play catch up too.
The great thing about this particular book is that it’s a collection of three books by Shaun Tan: The Red Tree, The Lost Thing, and The Rabbits. The Lost Thing is far and away the highlight for us. It’s an incredibly creative and touching story about a strange creature without a home, and it’s worth looking up the Academy Award winning short film as well.
Shaun Tan has a great talent for mixing social commentary with incredibly imaginative storytelling and beautiful, original artwork. If you have a soft spot for imagination, you need to check him out.
Can I Build Another Me?
Written and Illustrated by Shinsuke Yoshitake
Once again I’m obsessed with a picture book Shinsuke Yoshitake. His books are by no means strangers to Dad’s Bookshelf. In fact, this is the third time in a row he’s made an appearance. And the reason is clear - his combination of humor and thoughtful philosophy is something I am incredibly happy to share with my 7-year-old son.
Can I Build Another Me? is the hilarious story of a boy who wants to train a robot to be another him so that he doesn’t have to do things like homework or chores anymore. The robot’s job is to impersonate him so perfectly that nobody knows the difference - so the robot tells the boy that he’ll have to tell him everything about himself.
And that begins the incredibly original exploration of what makes you you. The creative ways he describes himself is the real fun of this book, and the boy soon realizes that identity is a pretty complicated topic. Our son is a deep-thinking little soul, and this sort of book is just perfect for him.
My Father’s Arms are a Boat
Written by Stein Erik Lunde and Illustrated by Øyvind Torseter
My Father’s Arms are a Boat is one of the saddest books I’ve ever read. We only discovered it recently, and I added it to our list of the best picture books for kids about death. I also stumbled upon a beautiful reading that I highly recommend you listen to. It’s very well done, and I can’t get that particular interpretation out of my head when I read it out loud.
The story follows a boy and his father shortly after the death of the boy’s mother. The pain and emptiness is palpable, and I’ve honestly never read a picture book with a more heart-wrenching depiction of a grieving child. But the truly beautiful thing about the book is the love between the father and his son, and how, even though you can feel how much pain they’re in, you’re also entirely convinced by the end that everything will somehow be okay.
What picture books have you been reading to your kids lately? Have you already read any of the books on Dad’s Bookshelf this month? Let us know in the comments!
