Dad's Bookshelf: July 2020
Usually there is at least one older book on Dad’s Bookshelf that our family only recently discovered, but the picture books on Dad’s Bookshelf this month are actually all new releases. We’ve gotten our hands on a lot of really fantastic books in the last couple of months, and I wanted to highlight a few of them.
Two of the books on this month’s list actually tie in with two interviews we’ve done before on Dad Suggests. We recently interviewed Michael J. Armstrong, the author of Best Day Ever. And I Got You a Present is illustrated by one of our favorite illustrators, Cale Atkinson, who we interviewed last year.
And the last of the three books on this month’s list is a follow-up to one of the funniest books we’ve ever read - We Don’t Eat Our Classmates. The second installment of the Penelope the T-Rex series is called We Will Rock Our Classmates, and it definitely lives up to the humor of the first.
It just so happens that all three books this month are pretty funny. You know we don’t shy away from sad or scary books too - so perhaps this trio of comedies is a good insight into the feel-good vibes our family has been into this month. And I hope this list helps you track down a new feel-good book to share with your own family.
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. All thoughts, opinions, and recommendations are our own.
I Got You a Present
Written by Mike Erskine-Kellie & Susan McLennan and Illustrated by Cale Atkinson
I Got You a Present is a very funny book that slowly builds up its humor throughout the story. A duck is describing all of the increasingly elaborate presents he intended to buy or build for his friend, but none of them worked out for one reason or another. The humor comes from a steady climb into the absurdity of the gifts - which end up involving dinosaurs, aliens and more - and that over-the-top comedy is what our kids really love about it.
After he describes just a few of his unfortunate failures, you start to doubt the trustworthiness of this character. In that way, a lot of the comedy also comes from the fact that this duck might just be spinning these elaborate tales to make up for the fact that he forgot to buy a gift. But that’s not confirmed by any means and it’s fun to momentarily entertain the possibility that he’s telling the truth.
And, of course, one of the things that endeared the book to us immediately is the fact that it’s illustrated by Cale Atkinson - the creator of one of my very favorite picture books of all time: Sir Simon. The charm that his illustrations bring to the characters makes them feel like familiar friends.
We Will Rock Our Classmates
Written and Illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates made our list of the best picture books of 2018, as well as our list of the best picture books for the first day of school. Obviously we are really big fans of that book, so it’s no surprise that we were very excited to hear about the recently-released follow up. And the great news is that it has entirely lived up to reputation of the first book - and it even includes the return of Walter the goldfish.
We Will Rock Our Classmates is an easy addition to any back-to-school picture book lists. Higgins has mastered the art of tackling a serious subject - in this case fear and self-confidence issues - and doing so with a lot of legitimate laughs along the way. This time around Penelope wants to perform in the talent show but she starts to doubt whether she’s good enough. And by the end of the story we get a really well-crafted lesson on chasing your dreams and being yourself.
Best Day Ever
Written by Michael J. Armstrong and Illustrated by Églantine Ceulemans
Best Day Ever is Michael J. Armstrongs debut picture book. It’s a fantastic start to his career, and you can read more about his experience writing it in our recent interview. It features one of our very favorite themes of all time - the importance of childhood imagination. It tackles the subject in a really funny way too - with a boy named William trying to unlock a fun summer in a very rigid, scientific way.
A lot of the humor of the book comes from the juxtaposition of William and Anna, who has a vivid imagination and spends the whole book trying to get William to loosen up and just play with her. One of my favorite parts of the book is how hilariously specific and childlike the imagination of the kids is. To illustrate my point, there is an intergalactic space toe that has kidnapped baby penguins and is forcing them to eat asparagus.
Have you read any of these great picture books yet? What kids books have you been reading this month? Let us know in the comments!
