This article originally appeared in the July-August 1999 Children's Advocate newsmagazine, published by Action Alliance for Children.

BOOKBASKET

Dads and Kids

Stories about the important men in children's lives

By Ben Peterson

Fathers are teachers, men who educate their children about how they should act and who they are. Fathers are heroes, men whom children idolize and struggle to imitate. Fathers are family, men whom children depend on to make them feel safe and loved. Fathers play all of these roles and many others in life and in literature. In these books, children cherish their fathers' stories that teach them about their past, making them laugh and making them think. They also look up to their fathers, asking questions and trying their best to be more like them. Most importantly, what is apparent in these books is that children look for love from their fathers—whether in the form of a laugh, a visit, a story, or a hug.

The Barefoot Book of Father and Son Tales and The Abbeville Anthology of Father and Daughter Tales, retold by Josephine Evetts-Secher, illustrated by Helen Cann. From ancient Greek and Native American myths to European fairy tales, the entertaining stories in these two collections will introduce to children the similar feelings, hopes, and fears that fathers experience around the world. Some of the fathers in these tales are wise, some are foolish, some are kind, and some are vengeful. Despite these differences, common traits emerge that children and parents can discuss. These books also help acquaint children with the wide range of cultures and regions from which these stories are taken. (Barefoot Books, Abbeville Anthology, 1999) Ages five through 12.

Papa tells Chita a Story, story by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard, pictures by Floyd Cooper. Even though she's heard the story many times before, Chita loves to sit on her father's lap and listen to him tell her of his brave adventures during the Spanish-American War—swimming under snapping alligators, escaping the grasp of gigantic birds, and eluding venomous snakes. It's clear that what Chita loves most is spending time with her father as he tells his story. Howard explains in the introduction that these tall tales are taken from the stories her African American uncle told her cousin. She includes a brief historical account of African American involvement in the war effort and pictures of her uncle and cousin. (Alladin Paper Backs, 1995) Ages five through nine.

My Ol' Man, story and pictures by Patricia Polacco. Like many of Polacco's popular stories, this one is autobiographical, dedicated to her father whom she describes as a flimflam man, a dream saver, a wish keeper. Every summer Patricia and her brother Richard stay with their father and grandmother in Michigan. More than anything else, they love the moment when their father comes home from work and tells them his animated stories. One day following one of these stories, he takes them to see a magical mysterious rock he's found in the woods. He is sure that it is magical—the mystery is how its magic will work. It is only after he loses his job that the rock's magic is revealed. Polacco's story demonstrates how a father can inspire hope and excitement in his children simply by being himself and spending time with them. (Philomel Books, 1995) Ages five through nine.

My Father's Boat, story by Sherry Garland, pictures by Ted Rand. This touching story describes a boy's day on his father's fishing boat off the coast of Texas. While teaching his son to fish, the father wisely uses the time to tell him about his own father back in Vietnam, whom he hasn't seen in years and who taught him to fish when he was a boy. By the end of the day, the son begins to realize the important bond that fishing provides between himself, his father, and his grandfather. Garland's lyrical style and Rand's vivid illustrations combine to paint a portrait both poignant and beautiful of the boy's special day with his father. (Scholastic Press, 1998) Ages five through nine.

White Dynamite and Curly Kidd, story by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, pictures by Ted Rand. Martin, a master of rhythm and melody, teams up with Archambault, a journalist and poet, to write this tale about the awe a child can have for a father. As the Curly Kidd prepares to ride White Dynamite—the biggest bull in the USA—his child, Lucky, follows him, mimicking his gestures and asking him questions. When Curly answers the questions, Lucky listens carefully and heeds all of the fatherly advice. Children will enjoy the rodeo excitement Martin's rhythm invokes, and the ending, revealed only in Rand's final illustration, will surprise everyone. (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1986) Ages four through seven.

I'll See You When the Moon Is Full, story by Susi Gregg Fowler, pictures by Jim Fowler. Upset that his dad has to go away for a business trip, young Abe is spending the last few minutes with him helping to pack. As they pack together the father and son compare how much they will miss each other. When Abe's father tells him he will be back in two weeks, Abe is confused about how long that will be. His father wisely uses the opportunity to explain to him the phases of the moon, telling him to watch the moon every night. When the moon is full he will return. Jim Fowler's illustrations showing the boy imitating his father's posture and mannerisms make the story about a caring father all the more special. (Greenwillow Books, 1994) Ages five through nine.

Always My Dad, story by Sharon Dennis Wyeth, pictures by Raul Colon. This is the bittersweet story of a daughter who misses her often-absent father. When she and her brothers go to visit their grandparents' farm for the summer, their father shows up late one night to spend a few fun-filled days with them. The children love the time they spend with their father but are sad when he says he must leave. Before he leaves, he explains to his daughter that although he won't always be near her, wherever he is, he will always be her daddy and he loves her. Wyeth uses this tale to provide a valuable lesson about love and family. (Dragonfly Books, 1999) Ages five through nine.

My Man Blue, poems by Nikki Grimes, pictures by Jerome Lagarrigue. This collection of powerful, hip, honest, and emotional poems tells the story of the relationship young Damon develops with his friend Blue. While not actually Damon's father, Blue embraces the paternal role of teaching him the respect and strength it takes to be a man. Each of Grimes' superb poems is a joy for parents and children to read aloud. Even more impressive is the way the poems work together to show how Damon matures with the love and advice of Blue. With warm pictures of tough Blue and the Harlem streets, Lagarrigue does an excellent job of strengthening the feeling of respect and love apparent in Grimes' poems (Dial Books for Young Readers, 1999). Ages five through 12.

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