From Publishers Weekly
In this cleverly conceived picture book, everyday events in a father's routine take on a larger-than-life significance, thanks to a son's fertile imagination. As the boy proudly recounts his father's many feats (e.g., mowing the grass, going for a jog, even sneezing), the illustrations make it clear that where the reader sees a garden-variety, bespectacled dad, the boy sees a hero. "My daddy can cross the street alone," boasts the boy, for example, as the briefcase-toting papa steps into what seems to be an ordinary city night. On closer look, however, the dramatic embellishments of the boy's fantasies become visibleAa tiger prowls, an elephant lurks around the corner, a monkey clings to a lamppost. Paradis (Brass Button) combines spare text with thoughtful artwork to simulate the lens of a child's love and admiration. Realistic portraits use saturated color and dappled light, and the page design adds a further dimensionAthrough most of the scenes, the boy plays spectator, placed at the bottom or to one side of each black-bordered portrait, and watching with readers. In the end, when the father returns home to greet his son with a hug, the boy finally steps into the action himself. A peek at his bedroom reveals the inspiration behind his daydreams: it overflows with stuffed jungle toys. This firmly grounded book offers playful insights into the importance of a father's role in a child's life. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Ages 3^-6. This lovely picture book celebrates the relationship between father and son. From a little boy's point of view, it's a "jungle" out there--a world filled with dangers and the unknown, a world that the boy sees as populated by wild animals, and his father's actions and bravery are something to marvel at. The father confidently and fearlessly performs what to the young boy are amazing feats: crossing the street, riding a two-wheeler bicycle, finding his way home after work, reading a bedtime story, which charms and tames even the wild animals to sleep. Everyday endeavors are actions that fill the boy with admiration and instill in him feelings of trust and security. With his father at his side, the young boy can do anything--he, too, is fearless, secure in his father's love and trusting in his father's many capabilities. Very charmingly written and illustrated, the book shows that "superdads" are in the eyes of the beholder, a fine reminder that even the most mundane daily chores and experiences can set a fine example for younger ones. The fantastic and fantastical art combines a little boy's perspective and imagination with familiar objects and situations in lush, gorgeous pictures that are stories in themselves about the importance of trust, love, support, and learning to be brave and believe in oneself.
Shelle Rosenfeld
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.