Dad's Bookshelf: November 2021
It’s a wonderful time of year for picture books, tucked right in between Halloween and Christmas. And we actually have a little bit of both on Dad’s Bookshelf this month. Of course we always take a deeper dive into the holidays with our yearly Halloween and Christmas book lists, but this time we have one of each type fighting their way all the way onto this monthly list of the books we’re most excited about.
This time around, two of the picture books on Dad’s Bookshelf were on our radar very early because they are crafted by some of our favorite authors and illustrators. When the likes of Ben Hatke or Oliver Jeffers announce a new project, we tend to have it preordered many months in advance.
We actually mentioned Oliver Jeffers’ new book on our list of the best Halloween picture books of 2021, but the tragedy was that it didn’t actually make it to the US in time for Halloween. Otherwise, it probably would have been on October’s edition of Dad’s Bookshelf. As it is, it finally came out this week, and it was worth the wait!
And of course we’ve been talking about Ben Hatke and his picture books about Julia and her monster friends for a very long time. The newest addition to the series may have wrapped up the trilogy. And if that’s the case, it was wrapped up in a very beautiful way.
As always, these books are real family favorites. I think they’re beautiful and I love sharing them with the kids. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as we do - and I hope you continue to have a wonderful holiday season.
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: Robin Robin was provided to us by the publisher, with no expectation of inclusion on Dad’s Bookshelf. 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.
There’s a Ghost in This House
Written and Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
It’s a shame this one didn’t come out in the US in time for Halloween, but that certainly won’t stop it from being one of the all-time great ghost picture books. There will be many more Halloweens for people to enjoy it in the future, because There’s a Ghost in This House isn’t just one of the best picture books of the year, I think it’s destined to be a Halloween season classic.
There’s a Ghost in This House is an interactive book that kids will adore - the type of book that will make them laugh and shout at the girl on the page. “Behind you! Behind you!” It makes use of translucent pages to make ghosts appear on previously ghost-free spreads. Conceptually it’s very creative and adorable, and when you couple that with Oliver Jeffers’ quirky and distinctive style, you end up with a pretty precious book that’s hard to forget. And it will be delivering smiles around here for many Halloweens to come.
Robin Robin
Written by Dan Ojari & Mikey Please and Illustrated by Briony May Smith
It’s the time of year for new Christmas picture books, and Robin Robin is definitely one to look out for. It’s a new, original Christmas story about a bird raised by mice. The mice name her Robin, and she grows up wanting to do mice things like sneak into houses for crumbs. But when she hears that the star on top of the Christmas tree gives the humans everything they want, that gives her a new idea for something to steal.
It’s also actually going to be a Netflix Christmas special later this month. I’ve been very excited about the Netflix special, ever since I heard that Matthew Forsythe (the creator of Pokko and the Drum) is involved in the art of the movie. And the release of this book has added fuel to my excitement. It’s a sweet Christmas story about family and belonging, and I can’t wait to see the characters fleshed out even more and see it come to life.
Julia’s House Goes Home
Written and Illustrated by Ben Hatke
Ben Hatke is one of those authors and illustrators that comes up repeatedly on Dad Suggests. And Julia’s House was our first introduction to this family-favorite artist. Julia’s House Goes Home is the 3rd picture book in a trilogy about a girl and her home of displaced monsters that just need a family and a place to call home. The sweetness of the stories, coupled with Hatke’s art and fantasy charm make for books that are easy to fall in love with.
Julia’s House for Lost Creatures will always have a special place in our hearts, and it was one of the first books we ever wrote about, but, if I’m being completely objective and honest, I think Julia’s House Goes Home is my favorite of the trilogy. First of all, Patched-Up Kitty gets a lot of well-deserved attention and love. But truly it’s just a fantastic story, and it’s a beautiful ending if we’ve seen the last of Julia and her friends - which I hope we haven’t!
Have you read any of the books on Dad’s Bookshelf this month? What picture books have you been enjoying recently? Let us know in the comments!
