Dad's Bookshelf: September 2020
This month on Dad’s Bookshelf we have a trio of amazing new picture books - one of which is actually a sneak peek that will be hitting the shelves in about 2 weeks. And all three of these books stood out to me because of their endearing characters.
The three books this month are Jabari Tries, Izzy and Frank, and Howl. On the surface they might not seem to have much in common, and of course the only requirement for being on Dad’s Bookshelf is that we love them. There’s certainly no prerequisite that says they need to have a common thread that ties them together, but leave it to me to search for one!
And, as it just so happens, it’s pretty clear that all of the children in these books do have something in common - they are all dealing with some pretty intense emotions. Frustration rears it’s head more than once in these books, and so does intense sadness and longing. It’s extremely beneficial for kids to watch other kids tackle these powerful emotions that we can all relate to. And it never hurts for it all to take place in a world crafted by the most beautiful illustrations.
Like I already mentioned, the 3 books on Dad’s Bookshelf this month feature incredibly endearing characters, which is important for picture books. We definitely want characters that we can relate to or look up to - and they seem to just stick in our mind better when they are masterfully brought to life. They cross into that territory of feeling like old friends we want to revisit.
And there’s no doubt that these beautiful books have the potential to become old friends in our house. I highly recommend checking them out and seeing if you and your kids can relate to some of the feelings on display. And you’re definitely going to enjoy the amazing art on display along the way.
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 links in this article are affiliate links that will lead you to view the books’ listings on Amazon or IndieBound. Scribble provided us with copies of their books with no expectations of this article. All thoughts, opinions, and recommendations are our own.
Jabari Tries
Written and Illustrated by Gaia Cornwall
Speaking of old friends, the reason we snatched up Jabari Tries so quickly is because it featured an old friend we fell in love with during his last outing. Jabari first appeared in Jabari Jumps - which also happened to be a Dad’s Bookshelf book back in June. And Jabari Jumps also made an appearance on our lists of picture books about dads, and books with life lessons.
And this time around there are definitely more life lessons to be had, and good dadding to be seen. Jabari’s dad has always been a highlight for me, because his wisdom and his patience is a sight to behold. He makes for a good role model for dads all over. In this story, Jabari is trying to work together with his sister on an engineering project - but frustration gets the best of him.
So on one hand you get a very nice tribute to engineering and creativity. But kids will also definitely be able to relate with the intense frustration of things not going their way - and the challenge of cooperating with others. And just like with the fear that Jabari faced in Jabari Jumps, I’ve always thought that it helps normalize these feelings when kids get to see how other people deal with them.
Izzy and Frank
Written by Katrina Lehman and Illustrated by Sophie Beer
Just a glance at the beautiful, colorful cover of this book should tell you all you need to know. Forget what you ever learned about judging a book by its cover and trust your instincts. If you love the aesthetics of the cover you are going to love this book. There aren’t enough nice things to say about the art here.
And there’s a lot going on with the story to fall in love with too. Izzy’s best friend is a one-legged seagull named Frank, and they do everything together. It’s remarkably wholesome and endearing and it’s impossible not to smile about what you see on these pages. But Izzy then has to move away from her island and leave Frank behind.
What comes next is up to interpretation I believe. Izzy is having trouble fitting in and making friends in the city, and she misses Frank a lot. But then Frank comes back - at least that’s one way of interpreting it. On top of this beautiful story about friendship, what we really have here is a truly beautiful testament to a child’s imagination, and a very interesting exploration of dealing with change and longing. And it’s actually very similar to powerful picture books about death that explore the process of moving on.
Howl
Written by Kat Patrick and Illustrated by Evie Barrow
We’ve just gotten a sneak peek of the incredible Howl, and it comes out in just 2 weeks. And the interesting thing about the timing of this book is that it’s being released in the midst of a pandemic and worldwide semi-quarantine. And the reason that’s interesting is that one thing that families around here did for months was step out onto their porches at exactly 7 p.m. in an act of solidarity and howl like wolves.
Howl isn’t necessarily about the pandemic however, or about any particular stressor at all, even though it can be fun to interpret it that way. Instead, the real focus of this story for me is the relationship between mother and daughter. It’s kind of like a joint mother/daughter adventure in a similar vein to Where the Wild Things Are - where they just give in to their powerful emotions and let it rip.
Paired with the stunning illustrations, this experience is very special. Once again just about everybody will be able to relate to the feeling of having a day where everything seems to be going wrong. And the interesting twist for kids and adults alike is that we aren’t so different. Even something like frustration is something we can bond over, and I’m in love with the focus on family in this one.
Have you read any of these books yet? What great picture books have you discovered recently? Let us know in the comments!
