Dad's Bookshelf: May 2023
I have a good feeling about the picks we have in store for you on Dad’s Bookshelf this month. They’re sure to impress! Above all, I think they certainly betray my not-so-secret love for all things imagination and fantasy. Suffice it to say that I think this is a very fun and exciting set of books, and I’m very delighted about that.
It’s always a good month on Dad’s Bookshelf when a book I’ve really been looking forward to finally releases - and that’s the case this time, because Enchanted Lion just released Mulysses by Oyvind Torseter. I just adore every kids book he puts out - and I knew this one would be in a similar vein to his fantastic fairy tale The Heartless Troll. So I knew 1 of the 3 books to feature this month was quickly settled!
One of the other books we’re featuring arrived in a package of book mail from Holiday House - and I knew I was going to love it pretty quickly. I’m nothing if not a sucker for stories about bedtime and imagination. If something reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are then no further questions need to be asked.
If you’re a fan of fantasy and whimsy and good art, then I think you’ll be very happy with our selections this time around. It’s a good old-fashioned set of good storytelling and active imaginations in these pages, and I can’t wait to hear what you think about them.
As always, nothing would make me happier than knowing we helped find a new story for you or your kids or your students to fall in love with. I have a good feeling about these books being pretty memorable, so fingers crossed they help you make some memories.
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.
Disclosure: The Night Tent was shared with us by the publisher. 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.
Mulysses
Written and Illustrated by Oyvind Torseter
I’ve been a huge fan of Oyvind Torseter ever since I read a book he illustrated called My Father’s Arms are a Boat. He’s a very talented artist and it’s a joy to flip through his illustrations. As a storyteller he seems to have a penchant for classic adventures and fairy tale type stories and structures - with very quirky and modern flairs. Mulysses, for example, is loosely based on the journeys of Odysseus and his run-in with the Cyclops.
Just to be clear, Mulysses is a much longer book - more like a graphic novel than a picture book. But it can still easily be read in one sitting. When I read books like this I feel like I’m transported back to childhood in a way. The Heartless Troll gave me the same feeling as well. It’s just a good old-fashioned adventure with an unassuming protagonist that’s easy to root for. And there’s simply nothing else out there like Torseter’s art. I’m just grateful that books like this are being made.
The Night Tent
Written and Illustrated by Landis Blair
The Night Tent wasn’t on my radar at all, but I had a really good feeling about it once I saw the cover, and I was completely sold after seeing the first page of the book with Watson staring at the ceiling. I really like Blair’s style a lot. And it’s like I always say: If there’s one thing I really like, it’s a 2-page spread of creative and slightly-creepy monsters.
It feels to me like The Night Tent took some inspiration from Where the Wild Things Are, and quite frankly I don’t know why more books aren’t inspired by Where the Wild Things Are. If there’s one thing we need more of in this world, it’s kids going to bed and being transported to a world of monsters. And Blair’s monsters also remind me of the spectacular creativity of Liniers in What There Is Before There Is Anything There - and I just can’t think of a much better compliment than that.
Book of Questions
Written by Pablo Neruda and Illustrated by Paloma Valdivia
This is a very beautiful creation of a book - and it was crafted out of the poetry of Pablo Neruda. Apparently the whimsical questions featured in this book were taken from Neruda’s much longer poetry, and reformed into the cohesive picture book that we have here. The questions are very random, quirky, and poetic - the types of questions only little kids (or maybe a group of stoners) might ask each other. And, for the record, my favorite question is:
Why, when expecting snow, do trees take off their clothes?
And then those questions were brought to life by the illustrations of Paloma Valdivia. And Valdivia’s illustrations are truly the highlight here for me. Everything about this beautiful book is so carefully crafted - from the interesting plastic slip cover to the fold out pages - but the dreamy style of the pictures themselves is the real show-stopper.
Have you gotten your hands on any of these wonderful books yet? What books have you been loving lately in your home? Let us know in the comments!
