Dad and Me in the Morning [Hardcover]

Patricia Lakin (Author), Robert G. Steele (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: 1 and up

Early one morning a young boy wakes to his special alarm clock. He puts on his hearing aids and clothes, then goes to wake his father. Together they brave the cold as they walk down the dirt road that leads to the beach.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-A young deaf boy awakens to the light of his special alarm clock, puts in his hearing aids, and tiptoes to awaken his father. Together they walk to the beach, observing nature. Jacob and his father have "lots of ways of talking...signing or lipreading or just squeezing each other's hands." For the most part, the straightforward text employs vigorous language: crunchy shells and snaky seaweed, hermit crabs scoot and sea gulls swoop and gobble; but a few of the word choices, such as "eensy" and "orangier," are less effective. Each page of text, placed on a pastel rectangle and bordered by lots of white space, faces a full-page, full-color illustration. Steele's striking watercolors employ earth tones; blues and greens; and red-orange, pale gold, and pink. The range of light is effectively conveyed, from the predawn dark to the brilliant sunrise at the end. (A quibble-two double-page spreads depicting the sunrise are actually darker than the four previous pictures, one of which finds Jacob saying, "It's getting lighter.") This story is similar to, but somewhat wider in scope than, Uri Shulevitz's Dawn (Farrar, 1974). Appropriate for both one-on-one and group sharing.
Cynthia K. Richey, Mt. Lebanon Public Library, Pittsburgh, PA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5-8. In a special morning interlude, a young boy awakens his father, and they go down to the beach to watch the sunrise. The young boy is deaf, but he and his father have many ways of communicating. Dealt with simply, as part of the reality of their relationship, the boy's deafness is unobtrusively woven into this story about a father and child sharing a moment in time. In tune with the sensitive tone of the text, Steele's atmospheric watercolor illustrations capture the rising light of dawn as well as the love between the boy and his father. Reminiscent of Jane Yolen's Owl Moon (1987), this warm story can be considered for all picture book collections. Annie Ayres

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (January 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807514195
• ISBN-13: 978-0807514191
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #274,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dad and Me in the Morning, June 15, 2000

By 

Robert Walker (Little Rock, Ar/ Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dad and Me in the Morning (Hardcover)

As a Deaf person myself, I was pleased with the positive imagines in this work. This is an excellent book based on the relationship between a deaf child and his father. It displayed the father's acceptence of his child's need for ASL (American Sign Language) and the williness and time to learn it. It is also a good way to introduce the rudiments of Deaf culture to the general public. It should be recommended reading for all - including hearing children. The watercolor illustrations and the context within work together beautifully and was well recieved by students at Gallaudet University (a liberal arts university for the deaf/hard of hearing students.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inclusion at it's best!, February 14, 2004

By 

Tracy Beck (WATERDOWN, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dad and Me in the Morning (Hardcover)

Far before anyone else in the house is up, a young boy sneaks in to wake his dad and they head out together, to watch the sun come up over the lake by their home. The illustrations in this book are stunning and present American Sign Language beautifully, as a Deaf son and his father communicate their strong bond with one another. As an educator and an advocate for inclusion, I would strongly recommend this book as a wonderfully natural way to present disability to children.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dad and Me in the Morning, March 15, 2005

By 

heather garey (Arden, Ontario) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dad and Me in the Morning (Hardcover)

Early in the morning a young boy sneaks into his father's room and awakens him so that they go to their special spot to watch the sunrise over the lake. The young boy is deaf but has many ways of communicating with his father. They have an extraordinarily strong father-son relationship.The illustrations are beautifully done and show the acceptance of other ways to communicate. I would strongly recommend this book to children between the ages of 4-8. The simplistic way of introducing the subject of people being different(people with disabilities)has been covered sensitively.