My Dad [Hardcover]

Anthony Browne (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 2001 | Age Range: 5 - 8 years

From the 2000 Hans Christian Andersen Medalist

In an endearing homage to dads everywhere, a boy describes -- and exaggerates -- the many accomplishments and feats of his father. Among the traits praised are his enormous talent for singing, his near-professional wrestling skills, his extreme bravery in the face of danger (he's not even afraid of the Big Bad Wolf!), and his ability to -- quite literally, in Anthony Browne's world -- eat like a horse. All of the pictures feature the lovable pater in his signature plaid bathrobe, adding a further comfy layer to a book whose ultimate message is "I love my dad. And you know what? HE LOVES ME! (And he always will.)".

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

According to one little boy, his dad is just about the coolest thing since sliced bread. Equally at ease jumping over the moon and banishing the Big Bad Wolf, this fearless father, in his hideous brown plaid bathrobe and blue-striped pajamas, seems capable of anything. The awe and admiration in his son's tone are gratifying; his hyperboles are droll. "He's as strong as a gorilla, and as happy as a hippopotamus. He's all right, my dad." Dad appears (always in a robe and PJs) as a weightlifting, goofy gorilla and a frolicking hippo. At other times he's a brown plaid fish ("He can swim like a fish"), a placid-faced wrestler ("He can wrestle with giants"), and a tightrope walker (the tightrope looks remarkably like a clothesline, with Dad circumnavigating rainbow-colored socks).

Anthony Browne, award-winning author and illustrator of Willy's Pictures and many other witty picture books, pays bright and loving homage to that most remarkable of beings, the dad. Every illustration depicts the world as seen from the low height of the little boy narrator and through his starry-eyed gaze, as well. Sure, we might look at this man and see a slightly overweight fellow with five o'clock shadow and poor taste in nightwear, but to his son, this is Man. He is everything. And until that fateful day when the boy begins to roll his eyes at his dad's hopelessly embarrassing ways, Dad should just revel in the divine, unadulterated love of his child. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

With well-measured doses of hyperbole, sentiment and humor, Browne (Voices in the Park) delivers an endearing paean to patriarchs. "He's all right, my dad," begins the young narrator, pictured only in the final painting, receiving a giant hug from the object of his affection. Each page celebrates a specific quality or accomplishment of Dad, illustrated with characteristically witty panache. Accompanying the proclamation that "My dad isn't afraid of ANYTHING, even the Big Bad Wolf," is a picture of the fellow showing an overall-clad wolf the door, as Red Riding Hood and three pigs peer out from behind a tree in the background; in another, the boy thinks his dad ranks as one of the three tenors ("a brilliant singer," Dad is flanked by Pavarotti and Domingo). Some of Browne's playful imagery is obvious: the plaid pattern of Dad's bathrobe appears on a piece of toast popping out of the toaster, and he assumes the likeness of a variety of animals as the child announces that "My dad can eat like a horse," "swim like a fish," etc. Yet sometimes the artist creates some slyer graphic pranks. A childlike drawing of a sun that hangs on the wall on the opening page, for example, later appears in a smaller dimension as a button on Dad's pajamas. And as the father bounces a soccer ball on his knee, trees in the distance are shaped like balls used in various sports. All ages.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 5 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 28 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (April 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374351015
• ISBN-13: 978-0374351014
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #182,841 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Dad Should Read This Book! April 2, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

When my husband read this book to our 5 month old son for the first time, tears welled in his eyes and he said "I love being a Dad so much!"

Kids and adults alike will relate to many if not all of the situations a Dad can overcome in this book. Lots of discussion and imagination stretching can be had after reading each page in this beautifully presented text. The quirky illustrations with the everpresent plaid dressing gown in every picture make for an entertaining book for all ages.

My Dad makes a great gift for any child who loves Dad and any Dad who adores his child.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic book December 20, 2001

By Beth Furman

Format:Hardcover

My grandson lives a long ways from me. He spent a couple weeks w/me while his parents went on vacation. We read this book every night and he loved it so that he could finish all the sentences on the pages. When he went back home, he could talk w/me on the phone and I'd start the sentence and he would finish it. It made a great bond for us and somehow made the miles seem shorter. He's only 1 1/2 years old and I miss so much. Maybe thru this book he won't forget me!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong Similes and Brilliant Illustrations Illuminate Father May 30, 2001

By Donald Mitchell HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Children often see their fathers as unstoppable heroes. This book makes that case. One of the best ways to inspire a father to become even better in that role is to describe him in heroic ways. Fathers almost never see themselves in a suit of armor. But fathers will gladly wear the plating for a child, and love every moment of it. Mom or grandparents can create a lot of happiness for a father and his children by giving this book to preschoolers. Although the book is aged older by the publisher, I think it will work best for 2-5 year olds. The winning words of the text are made into brilliant images by the illustrations that take the words into a playful world of "what if."

Fathers will take heart from the way their heroism is portrayed. They get to look like themselves part of the time, in bathrobe and exaggerated smiles. When the book says that they can jump over the moon, the illustration makes it clear that this is an optical illusion helped by having the moon be low on the horizon and the father being close to the viewer. A father also becomes as big as a house (not fat, mind you) by standing very close, again, to the viewer.

But there are magical moments, when father is transformed into anthropomorphic animals wearing remnants of his normal attire. These are hilarious. I especially liked the one where dad is "as happy as a hippopotamus."

The text does have a few places where real accomplishments are needed. "He can . . . win the father's race on sports day, easily." "My dad's a great dancer, and a ballet singer." "He's fantastic at soccer . . . ." Fathers, don't be threatened by this! After all, the perspective is that of a preschooler, and you can do great things in all of those dimensions!...

My favorite part of the book was the end when the child says, "I love my dad, And you know what? HE LOVE ME! (And he always will.)" This comes accompanied by a beautiful illustration of a father-child hug. Ah.

You can make this an even more special Father's Day by including more items in the book that exemplify how your child thinks her or his dad is special. If your child will make some illustrations to go with those examples, you can touch even more heart strings and make the beautiful music of familial love. Then present these drawings inside the book, as a combined gift from Mom or grandparents and the children.

"He's all right, my dad."

Happy Father's Day!

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Simple, fit for young children. No extra message September 22, 2004

By Tsila Sofer Elguez

Format:Hardcover

I love Anthony Brown books especially due to his amazing drawings.

In this short book (short of words, that is) it is again the drawings that do the work.

Each page presents the father as another animal figure dressed in Dad's pajamas, depicting all the animal' s great qualities.

The pictures are great as usual, but something is missing. It seems that there are no "further layers" as you get for example in Anthony Brown's "Gorilla", a book which I feel is a real masterpiece. In that book, every reading brings something new when the little details of the drawings offer another aspect, another small joke and all in all add to the reading of the story, which becomes a real "experience" both child and parent can enjoy. This does not really happen in "My Dad".

The only "something else" I found in "My Dad" is the fact that the father, although described by the son as a superhuman figure, is presented very humanly in each page. Always in his pajamas with his unshaven face - which makes him ever so dear and easy to identify with.

I read the book to my 2.5 year old son who enjoys the book and its simplistic message. My disappointment is not because this is not a worthy book. It is. I was just hoping for another masterpiece...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Just buy it November 12, 2002

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

Some things in life are best kept simple. This book does it. For any son that loves his father (uh...provided they are under the age of 10)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars can do anything! November 8, 2001

By Rebecca Brown

Format:Hardcover

From the inside covers to Dad's robe to toast popping out of the toaster to showing the Big Bad Wolf the door & walking a tightrope to wrestling giants; to eating like a horse & swimming like a fish; to being as big as a house & as soft of a teddy bear, to singing brilliantly & being as wise as an owl - everything matches Dad's plaid robe, blue striped pjs & red comfy slippers.

With a smile on every page - this is a book forever - about respecting & loving, admiring & encouraging the Dads of this world to unite & win over their children's hearts.

Lovely, lovely book & oh, so true! A charming keeper!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars the librarian knows best August 3, 2001

By L. Hayashi

Format:Hardcover

I don't own this book. I do, however, have a 2-year old child. Recently, my daughter, along with a room filled with other 2-4 year olds, sat enthralled as this book was read to them by our local librarian. (It makes a great Father's day book!) The kids were all seated on the floor, heads all leaning in toward the librarian, pointing and giggling along with this little boy and his amazing dad. None of the children squirmed around or wandered off or turned around to annoy their little brother. Amazing! For me, that's a sign that this must be a pretty interesting book to kids. Read the other reviews for the story line but, if you're looking for a book that does a great job giving fathers everywhere their due, buy this book now.