Oh, Daddy! [Hardcover]

Bob Shea (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: April 27, 2010 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years

Daddies . . . They can be funny and lovable and really, really silly.

Oh, Daddy!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 1—In this humorous paean to fatherhood, a rounded, Raschka-esque hippo explains that he is so smart that he shows his dad how to do things. Shea goes through a series of scenarios in which the father gets his son to do what he wants by pretending he doesn't know how to do it correctly. When the youngster claims to be "busy getting dressed," the pictures show him watching TV in his underwear. The father proceeds to mix up his clothing and asks, "Is this how you get dressed?" prompting the child to respond, "Oh, Daddy! This is how you get dressed!" And so it goes, ending with the boy showing his father how to give big hugs. The concise text captures the child's voice perfectly, and the well-placed page-turns effectively set up what comical thing the adult has done to prompt each "Oh, Daddy!" The mixed-media illustrations incorporate collage elements into a spare, cartoonlike world depicting thickly outlined blue hippos with dot eyes and expressive faces. The gentle humor evident in the contrasts between text and pictures, as well as the scenes of the father doing things outrageously wrong, will keep kids entertained. This will work equally well in storytimes or one-on-one. Buy it for Father's Day and put it out all year as an antidote to the cloyingly sweet parent-child books glutting the market.—Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

From the author of the popular Dinosaur vs. Bedtime (2008), this stylistically simple and undeniably hip book is sure to captivate the under-five set. In pictures using a mostly four-color scheme, and that also feature textural pops of photo detail (a burlap-covered couch, a spray of tossed carrots), a little hippo and his father playfully get through a day’s worth of activities, from getting dressed to eating lunch to hugging. The catch is the youngster has to show Dad how these things need to be done. When Daddy climbs through the car window before they go to visit Grandma, his son demonstrates how the car door opens. “See? Easy peasy, mac and cheesy!” Little readers will like Daddy’s silliness (in one scene he places his underwear on his head), while adult caretakers will appreciate Dad’s gentle use of psychology. Observant tots will also delight in the TV appearance of Shea’s dinosaur in several scenes. Overall, an enjoyable romp and a worthy addition to the many daddy-child volumes on picture-book shelves. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Karen Cruze

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Balzer + Bray; 1 edition (April 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061730807
• ISBN-13: 978-0061730801
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #650,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

www.facebook.com/bobsheabooks

www.bobshea.com

You know that PBS Kids spot where the pig runs around and eats things that begin with the letter "p"? Bob made that! He made a bunch of other animations for PBS Kids and helped them develop a national literacy campaign.

He has met Al Roker and Fonzie.

His stories, artwork and characters have also appeared on Nick Jr. and Noggin. He was even on Noggin, reading one of his books to Ryan, his little boy.

Bob likes to speak in the third person.

Bob has written several children's books, including New Socks, Big Plans, which was illustrated by Lane Smith, Dinosaur vs. Bedtime, Race You To Bed, and Oh Daddy.

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime was one of Amazon's Top 10 Picture Books of the year, and a Horn Book Magazine best of 2008.

He lives in Connecticut with his wife Colleen and his son, Ryan. He and Colleen own Perfectly Nice, a graphic design studio.

Bob enjoys cake.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Yeah for daddy! May 1, 2010

By J. Prather TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Shea has created a great book with his combination of simplistic design and just outright silliness. I can just hear the young hippo's know-it-all, exasperated voice as he keeps having to stop and show his silly daddy the proper way to get into the car, eat his carrots, and get dressed in the morning. I loved how everything dissolved into a water fight near the end when they showed each other how to "water the flowers", and of course what better way to wrap things up than the proper way to give a great big hug?

This is a great testament to daddies everywhere and a wonderful choice for preschool story times with a daddy theme. It's great that mom takes a back seat in this one - she's still in the picture, but this one does a great job of showing the warm and silly times that dads and kids can share. A HUGE daddy sized recommend for this one. Don't miss it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This marvelously charming book shows just how special Daddys really are . . . and shows just how hard it is to "train" them! June 11, 2010

By D. Fowler TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Daddy was fast asleep on the sofa, his eyes shut tightly and his mouth wide open. Zzzzzzzz! His little boy, a blue hippo, just looked at him and thought, "I may be little, but I'm as smart as two eight-year-olds! I'm so smart, I even show my dad how to do things-and he's a grown up!" In the morning, when the little guy was busy watching television in his underwear, toys scattered all around and his clothes on a chair, Daddy would start to ask questions. He'd put his underwear on his head, a bucket on his foot, a plant on his head, and oven mitts on his hands. Daddy wanted to know if that was how to get dressed. Well, of course not. Little hippo had to show him how to do it.

Daddy would look at his watch as he and Mama stood by the car waiting to head to Grandma's. Little hippo was dawdling around after he wrote all over the sidewalk and played a little hopscotch. Daddy wiggled himself into the side of the car window with only his behind hanging out. Looked like Daddy was doing to have to be shown the proper way to get into a car. "Come on, Daddy!" Daddy's can be so silly. Getting into a car was "easy peasy, mac and cheesy!" Little hippo had his work cut out for him at times. He had to show Daddy how to eat carrots, water the flowers, AND how to give big hugs. It was hard work showing Daddy how to do things the right way!

This marvelously charming book shows just how special Daddys really are . . . and shows just how hard it is to "train" them. I loved the little "reverse psychology" twist this book so humorously brought out, especially when Daddy was trying to get his son in the car. The father/son love is captured perfectly in the artwork. We can see how Daddy is worried about getting his son to cooperate, but get a good chuckle when we see his wheels churn and he finds a solution to the problem. This is one of those delightfully funny books that your little ones are going to ask you to read to them time and time again!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect book for dads to read September 11, 2010

By Harlem317

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I originally got this book at the library for my 3 year old son. He loved reading it so much with his dad that we decided to purchase it for our personal library. I like Bob Shea's style- he also wrote Dinosaur vs. Bedtime. Very cute!