Dad's Bookshelf: June 2022
It’s officially summertime now, and it’s already overwhelmingly hot and unpleasant in the middle of the day. I was hoping for more time in the year to enjoy several daytime walks around the neighborhood, but, alas, we’ll have to go inside and hibernate until fall under a pile of good books.
Dad’s Bookshelf this month features 3 great picture books to kick off our 3 month hibernation. One of them is even designed to be read many, many times. (Not that you can’t do this with any books, it’s just that this one is a choose-your-own-adventure book, so it’s literally designed for it.)
The other books on display this month touch on important topics like self-confidence, empathy, belonging, and dealing with emotions. And, on top of all this, they’re all quite beautiful and handsome and pleasant to look at. You know how much I enjoy a good-looking book.
I’m always happy when Dad’s Bookshelf seems to have something for many different tastes on it. This month we have social-emotional learning alongside fairy tales alongside bright and whimsical art. I feel good about my estimate that most picture book fans will find a great new read that fits their needs!
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 books in this month’s Dad’s Bookshelf were provided to us by their publishers, with no expectation of inclusion on this monthly article of the books we’re most excited about. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Some of the links in this article are affiliate links that will lead you to view the books on Bookshop.org and Amazon.
Wildflower
Written by Melanie Brown and Illustrated by Sara Gillingham
When I first saw the cover of Wildflower, I thought to myself, “that strikes me as something my wife would hang on the wall. The entire aesthetic is very much up her alley - which makes me think quite highly of this book, because she has great taste.
Wildflower is also much more than a pretty face, because it’s a very cute and original story as well. Daisy’s feelings are hurt when she’s informed by Rose that some flowers are planted on purpose and some are weeds. It’s a very clever framing for talking about belonging, acceptance, self-confidence, and empathy. It’s also wonderful for little green thumbs out there. For instance, my daughter recently learned about milkweed and how important it is for monarch butterflies, and she was excited to see Milkweed make an appearance as a character!
Endlessly Ever After
Written by Laurel Snyder and Illustrated by Dan Santat
I really love choose-your-own-adventure books and games, and I love sharing them with my kids. It’s kind of surprisingly how few picture books take advantage of the format. In fact, I’m pretty sure this is the only choose-your-own-adventure picture book in our entire collection!
All picture books that engage kids with interaction traditionally work really well in our house. Both of our kids have always loved interactive books. But the choose-your-own-adventure takes it to another level. I’ve always thought there was something special about choosing what happens next, and it really makes you feel like part of the story.
Endlessly Ever After has a fairy tale theme, and you’ll see lots of familiar characters like Little Red Riding Hood, the 3 Little Pigs, Hansel & Gretel, evil queens, and more! There are lots of different endings to achieve, some happy and some sad/spooky, and it’s all brought to life through the always amazing art of Dan Santat. This book is simply a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned. A real treat for kids and parents alike.
Max’s Box
Written by Brian Wray and Illustrated by Shiloh Penfield
Max’s Box is illustrated by Shiloh Penfield - the illustrator of another favorite book we’ve shared before called The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived. The style and structure of the story also reminds me of another famous book called The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. And I think that’s because it’s a simple but creative concept that packs a powerful message.
Max’s parents give him a very special box as a gift - a box that will hold anything. It’s a clever and fantastic idea for a story, and everything is going perfectly fine, until Max starts storing his negative feelings in the box. The box keeps growing, and it becomes quite taxing for Max to carry those feelings around with him all of the time.
I honestly think this book is a very effective metaphor for talking about suppressing our feelings with children. You can certainly count me among those that think it’s important for little ones to know that it’s okay to feel their feelings and show their emotions - so I’m thankful for books like this. You’ll also find a very insightful discussion on emotions in the back of the book - with very thoughtful ideas on how adults can help kids manage their emotions in a healthy way.
Have you read any of these great picture books yet? What books have you been enjoying recently? Let us know in the comments!
