From each bird that sings, to every kind of cloud, to all of the planets, the father in this story knows the names of them all—and takes the time to impart his knowledge to his child. As they walk together outside, Dad points out which mosses are the fuzziest and which insects are the buzziest, which flowers are the tallest and which beetles are the smallest. Jane Yolen’s inimitable text is complemented by Stephane Jorisch’s soft artwork, a pairing that is heartwarming and inspiring. The perfect gift for Father’s Day!
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1—This paean to fatherhood is not really a story but rather a list of all of the things the narrator's father knows, ending with, "He points out everything we see/And teaches all the names to me." It is simply a poetic love song and as such could be very effective. Unfortunately, the rhyme scheme is occasionally uneven. While lines like "My father knows the names of things,/Each different sort of bell that rings," work fine, they are followed by "And stones,/And knows the names of planets,/Stars,/And even human bones." The mixed-media illustrations, however, are wonderful. The boy and his dad exude love and companionship as they paint walls, study bugs, and fly in fanciful airplanes together. The pictures are full of movement and whimsy, and the final scene shows the child in bed in a darkened room, dreaming, with his father looking in on him. The paintings are detailed and varied and do an impressive job of depicting the imagery in Yolen's poem.—Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
A young boy relates in rhyme all the things his dad knows the names of; e.g., “He knows which mosses are the fuzziest, / He knows which insects are the buzziest, / And when we’re sailing on the sea / He tells the names of fish to me.” The sprightly watercolor-and-gouache illustrations put oomph into the tableaus; for instance, the spread for “He knows the names of dogs” portrays a female dog walker with seven irascible dogs in tow. In each example, the specific names in the category are not given, which could have provided a guessing/participation element. For example, while father and son paint a wall together, it is said that Dad knows seven words that all mean blue, yet those words aren’t named; rather, seven different shades of blue are daubed across the top of the page. But each event demonstrates a warm and caring relationship between father and son while communicating the boy’s palpable sense of pride. Preschool-Grade 2. --Julie Cummins
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More About the Author
Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Dad or Dud?,
This review is from: My Father Knows the Names of Things (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The concept behind the book is sweet and true (if slightly patriarchal, like Adam naming the animals with God); to children it must seem magical that parents know the names of things with such specificity, yet without more wit or humor (the art could pull more weight here), it kind of fizzles. The book hits me as a product written to the Father's Day market, rather than a story written to children.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Hmmm, just so-so,
By
This review is from: My Father Knows the Names of Things (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Not too sure what exactly to say about this book. It rhymes sometimes, but then stops and it gets awkward. The book isn't a story but more of a chant that this boy's dad knows the names of everything they see. However, the boy isn't going to tell us the names of the things in the book either - it's a big secret I guess! It would be much more enjoyable if it did rhyme, tell the names of particular things that are both mentioned and illustrated, and overall, be more inclusive of the reader. Really, it's not that great of a book and honestly, I cannot recommend you spend your money on it. It's just an, "oh, that's all there is to it?" kind of book once you've read to the end. Didn't care for the illustrations at all in this one - just a bit too bland and noninviting. Kids didn't care much for it at all. Just no story, nothing there that grabs their attention or their imagination. They wanted to put it down immediately because they wanted something that actually tells a story and held their attention. Sorry, but can't recommend this one.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Did they write this about my husband?,
By
This review is from: My Father Knows the Names of Things (Hardcover)
I am buying this book as a father's day present after reading it in the library. The book's illustrations feature a father and son and is written from the son's perspective. The father knows so many names for the color blue, the different names for clouds when they go flying, all kinds of insect names, and so on. My husband is just that kind of guy. We have friends who would use my husband for a life line if they were on that millionaire game show. I can't wait for Father's Day to see his reaction when he reads it with our boys.
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