Customer Reviews

A Day with Dad

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Written by teacher Bo R. Holmberg, A Day with Dad is a simple children's picturebook about a boy named Tim who shares the day with his dad. Tim lives with his mom and his dad lives in another town, but today Tim's dad has come to spend the day with him. They eat hot dogs together, go to see a cartoon movie, and visit the library. Tim is proud and happy to introduce his dad to everyone he meets. At last it is time for Tim's dad to take the train home. "'Excuse me,' Dad announces to the people in the train car. 'Can I say something?' Everyone stops and stares at him. 'Well,' Dad says, 'this is Tim. He is my son. He is the best son anyone could have.'" The simple, gentle illustrations add the perfect touch in this ideal book for helping a child get accustomed to the unfortunate necessity of seeing a separated parent only on certain days.

Magnificent. Try to ignore the blandness of the title, which speaks more to the modesty of these characters than the author's aspirations. There's a divorce somewhere in the background here, still this is a story determined to look at the simple, even ritual acts of putting something back together - a hot dog, a movie, the library - rather than lingering on whatever broke it. "This is my Dad!" blurts the boy to no one in particular on the train heading out. Unblinkingly hopeful.