Dad's Bookshelf: October 2021
Despite the fact that it’s October, and that it’s the best and the spookiest time of the year, there isn’t a scary book to be seen on this month’s Dad’s Bookshelf. I figured that our recent article of the best Halloween picture books of 2021 would have to suffice, since it already highlights the new spooky books we’ve fallen in love with!
The three books on Dad’s Bookshelf this month, on the other hand, are actually legitimate candidates for ending up on a different picture book list - our very favorite picture books of 2021. It’s a special month, and I know I say that a lot, but some months are more special than others. These three books are all real contenders for the throne this year.
The stories are all brilliant and they’re paired with stand out art from some of our all-time favorites. The newest picture book from The Fan Brothers, for instance, is something we’ve bookmarked and been looking forward to all year long.
Capybaras, cats, and bugs - I suppose there’s something of a theme going on this month too! Although I didn’t choose animals for any particular reason. I instantly gravitated towards these books for a different simple reason - we all love them very much. It was actually incredibly easy to pick the books I wanted to highlight this time around, and that’s not always the case. And I think that’s quite the testament to how great these books are.
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.
It Fell from the Sky
Written and Illustrated by The Fan Brothers
It’s well-established by this point what huge fans of The Fan Brothers we are. We’ve even talked about how much we were looking forward to this book in our recent interview with Eric Fan. There are a handful of authors and illustrators that we make certain to follow and always pre-order their newest works - and The Fan Brothers are definitely on that list.
It Fell from the Sky is a story about bugs that are trying to make sense of a mysterious object that falls from the sky. In actuality it’s a marble, but of course they don’t know that. As is always the case with The Fan Brothers, the illustrations are dreamlike and full of spectacular detail.
And the story takes a very unexpected turn - following a greedy spider who tries to make a quick buck off of the marble. I wasn’t expecting a story about greed and sharing and compassion in this quirky and dreamlike setup - but It Fell from the Sky really pulls it off and tells a memorable story.
The Capybaras
Written and Illustrated by Alfredo Soderguit
You know what they say about not judging a book by its cover, right? Well throw that idea right out the window, because The Capybaras is just as good as the cover suggests. Sometimes it’s actually remarkably easy to quickly tell that a book is something special, and this is definitely the case with this book.
The Capybaras is adorable. Just look at the eyes of those cute capybaras on the cover. But don’t be fooled, this adorable book actually has remarkable depth to it. It’s clear that this story about capybaras being unwelcome by the chickens in the coop can be interpreted as a commentary on accepting those that are different than us - perhaps even a direct commentary on immigration.
This book is beautiful and funny and sweet, and it still manages to poke at a profound meaning. The illustrations have an aesthetic that really speaks to me - something akin to the soft pencil work of Erin E. Stead. And I dare you not to fall in love with the little chick riding on the capybara’s back.
Negative Cat
Written and Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Sophie Blackall is another one of those artists that we have bookmarked to make sure we don’t miss her next project. After all, her If You Come to Earth finished as the second best picture book of 2020 in the Dad Suggests Picture Book Awards. And since we have a cat-obsessed 9-year-old in our house, there was simply no possible way that we’d miss her newest picture book - Negative Cat.
It turns out this book is much more than a cute story about a grumpy cat. It actually includes a wonderful message about literacy and the magic of read-alouds - and a meaningful nod to the important work done by animal rescue centers as well.
The illustrations have a magnificently old-school heart to them in this picture book - like a mix of the modern and something straight out of the 20’s or 30’s. So it’s actually completely appropriate in more ways than one that the legendary Millions of Cats from 1928 can be found as a little Easter egg in Negative Cat.
There’s a lot to love about Negative Cat for anyone and everyone. But if you happen to be a picture book lover, a literacy advocate, a cat lover, and an animal rescue supporter - you simply can’t miss this book. It will without a doubt steal your heart.
I hope you found something to fall in love with on Dad’s Bookshelf this month! What picture books have you been reading lately? Let us know in the comments!
