Dad's Bookshelf: June 2023
Every single month on Dad’s Bookshelf I introduce the point of this monthly tradition, and I remind you that Dad’s Bookshelf is usually new picture books but not always. But month after month it seems like I’m writing about newer picture books - sometimes even books that haven’t been released yet. Well, we’ve finally come to a month that is the exception, because I want to write about some older favorites today!
None of the books on Dad’s Bookshelf this month were released recently - not even this year. In fact, 2 of the books were released many years ago, and I consider them some of my very favorite all-time picture books. In my mind, that’s the point of Dad’s Bookshelf anyway. I want to write about the picture books that we love and recommend, whether they came out this week or 10 years ago.
So I combed over our bookshelves recently and pulled out some books I adore, and then I did a quick check to see which ones have ever been included in the several year history of Dad’s Bookshelf. And imagine my surprise when I realized I’ve never featured any of these amazing picture books. I knew I had to rectify that immediately, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
I always hope that Dad’s Bookshelf will help you find some new books to enjoy, and I have to admit that I have a good feeling about this month. If you haven’t read any of these 3 books yet, I hope you are able to track them down and give them a read. And then report back and let me know how it goes. If I make a recommendation in the woods, and nobody lets me know how it goes, did I really make a recommendation?
Happy summer to you and yours (or winter to those of you in the upside down). And I hope you have fun discovering the following family favorites!
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.
The Wolves in the Walls
Written by Neil Gaiman and Illustrated by Dave McKean
This book is beautifully weird and darkly comic. Years ago I placed it on one of my most prestigious lists - the best scary picture books for kids. I think it’s very special and it’s an absolute pleasure to recommend it. Neil Gaiman came up with one of the most original concepts for a scary children’s story, and all you really need to know heading into it is that wolves are hiding in the walls, and they are about to come out. It also has one of the best lines ever:
If the wolves come out of the walls, then it’s all over.
Dave McKean’s art is a combination of collage and drawing and photography I believe - and it’s perfectly quirky and unsettling. It’s the perfect pairing for the eerie atmosphere required in this strange tale. They also made a very fantastic VR experience for The Wolves in the Walls as well, and I highly recommend that as well if you have access to a VR headset.
My Self, Your Self
Written and Illustrated by Esmé Shapiro
My Self, Your Self is the most recently released book on this month’s Dad’s Bookshelf, and it was one of our favorite picture books of 2022. You’ll also find it on our 2023 Picture Book Summer Reading List - but it absolutely still deserves it’s very own feature. The right word to describe this one is probably whimsical, but also pure, and certainly delightful - in the most literal sense of the word. It simply exudes joy unlike any book I’ve experienced in a long while.
This is a book about deep and true friendship, but it’s also very much a book about loving yourself. And it’s executed really quite wonderfully. Everything from the quirky original characters to the choice of details in the storytelling to the selection of the font is just spot on. It’s also the type of pure-joy-feel-good story that might even bring a tear to your eye out of happiness. It’s sweet and it’s cute with real substance and art instead of platitudes, and I am here for it.
Duck, Death, and the Tulip
Written and Illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch
After my list of the best scary picture books for kids, I consider my list of the best picture books about death to be our second most prestigious list. And Duck, Death, and the Tulip is undoubtedly one of the very first books that I grabbed to build that list around. It’s truly a masterpiece from Wolf Erlbruch. And it’s absolutely high time it was given a feature on Dad’s Bookshelf - and not only because it’s one of the most treasured picture books in my collection. Unfortunately Wolf Erlbruch passed away at the end of 2022, and I hope this remarkable work of art has the world remember his name for a very, very long time.
The story begins with Duck noticing Death for the first time in her life. It’s a straightforward story about a short friendship, and it’s beautifully illustrated with appropriate simplicity. But there is so much depth to this story, and it’s a truly unforgettable commentary and philosophical exploration of mortality. It’s a bit heartbreaking and sobering, but it’s undeniably beautiful as well. I’ll also add that this is a book that is just as much for adults as it is for children - perhaps even more so. It’s certainly a book that you can appreciate in very different ways at different stages in your life.
Have you read any of these wonderful books before? What books have you been loving lately? Let us know in the comments!
