Book Dads

Book Giveaway: Peeper Has a Fever

SMBush — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:03:38 +0000

We have one copy of Peeper Has a Fever by Charlotte Cowan, M.D. to giveaway.

Peeper the little frog is very excited to go to the Picnic and Diving Contest, but his plans are ruined when his mother discovers that he has a fever and calls the doctor. Peeper is very disappointed that his mother and little sister Lily are going off to the picnic without him, but with some gentle care and company from his father he’ll soon be feeling better. And when his mother returns with the news that rain has postponed the Diving Contest, Peeper may still get a chance to win a ribbon after all.

Read more of our review here.

Contest Rules:

The contest ends at 9:00pm ET on Sunday, July 26, 2009. We will announce the winner the following day. The winner will be chosen randomly using Random.org.

The contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only. You must have a valid email address to comment and to be contacted by if you win. If the winner chosen does not respond within three days to the email then the next person on the list will be chosen.

How to enter:

1.) Leave us a comment: For one entry, simply leave a comment on this post requesting an entry in the giveaway.

2.) Become a fan of Book Dads on Facebook: For four additional entries, click here and become a fan of Book Dads on Facebook. Leave one comment here telling us your Facebook username (It is not necessary to leave 4 more comments!, just one will do) . Already a fan? Simply leave a comment here stating you are already a fan and would like an entry.

Do both things above, leaving a comment for #1 and a single comment for #2 and you will have 5 entries.

Post from: Book Dads: Fathers Who Read!

Book Giveaway: Peeper Has a Fever

Daddy loves me

Brian Frank — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:36:54 +0000

Daddy loves me
Written by Dawn Sirett
Illustrated by Rachael Parfitt

Daddy loves me is a board book all about daddies and how they love their infants and toddlers. The rhyming text is accompanied by bright, full-color photographs of dads and children having fun together at home, at the seaside, at the playground, and in the bath. The wonderful photography of happy fathers and children is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, and captures the powerful bond between dads and their children.

The book is brief, with coated board pages and a padded, easy-to-clean vinyl cover, so it is a great first book for sharing with infants or very young children and a good gift for new fathers.

Product Details:

Reading level: Baby-Preschool
Hardcover: 16 pages
Publisher: DK Preschool; Brdbk edition (December 17, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0756634644
Book Source: Personal Copy

Post from: Book Dads: Fathers Who Read!

Daddy loves me

Papá and Me

Ryan LaLonde — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:00:22 +0000

Papá and Me
Written by Arthur Dorros
Illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez

Papá and Me is a beautiful bilingual expression of a full day of a father and son spending time together. While Papa may only speak Spanish to his son, the main language is the unspoken one between them. Whether it be father and son making pancakes and eggs (Sabroso) in the morning or their trip to the park where tall trees bend (and with a boost from Papá are perfect for a climb), the book takes the reader on a beautiful journey. The journey continues through a bus ride filled with stories and splashing in puddles and ending with a big hug from the grandparents. In total, this is a story of the love and companionship that can exist between a father and son.

And beautiful is the perfect word, because the story is reflected by lively, chalky paintings that consume the whole page with color and non-stop movement. Rudy Gutierrez certainly did not hold back in these illustrations. Culturally these paintings incorporate little hints of Aztec-like suns, carnival-like loops of color, and warm tones that make you feel like the whole book is a piece of Spanish-folk art. The illustrations really bring the book to life, and make the story that much more powerful.

It does not go unsaid that this book is really for dads and sons everywhere – in fact, the author Arthur Dorros dedicates the book “For the Fathers and Sons”.

Excerpt:

When I’m with my papá, I can fly like an eagle, an águila.
I can climb alto, high, in a tree,
And I am the ganador, the winner, of many races.
When I am with my papá, I hear the best cuentos, stories,
and I give him the biggest abrazos, hugs.

Read Other Reviews:

The Reading Tub

Product Details:

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Rayo (April 22, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060581565
Book Source: Ryan LaLonde

Post from: Book Dads: Fathers Who Read!

Papá and Me

A Penguin Pup for Pinkerton

Brian Frank — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:25:55 +0000

A Penguin Pup For Pinkerton
Written by Steven Kellogg

When Emily learns all about devoted Emperor penguin fathers at school, her Great Dane Pinkerton is inspired to begin caring for an egg himself. Unfortunately, since a penguin egg isn’t available, the confused Pinkerton tries to hatch a football instead. Hijinks and pandemonium ensue as Pinkerton attempts to care for his “egg” against all odds.

This is a “mom only” book, since Emily’s dad does not appear in the story (even at bedtime), and it is her Mom and Granny that Emily phones for help when the whole town begins chasing Pinkerton. On the other hand, Pinkerton is certainly a committed animal father, and an example of cross-species adoption as well.

Product Details:

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Dial (September 1, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0803725361
Book Source: Library

Post from: Book Dads: Fathers Who Read!

A Penguin Pup for Pinkerton

King Dork

Brian Frank — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:50:32 +0000

King Dork
Written by Frank Portman

Tom Henderson is King Dork, an outcast in his high school and pretty much in his entire life. He and his fellow outcast Sam Henderson spend their time creating imaginary punk rock bands and trying not to get beaten up by their classmates or terrorized by their teachers. Everything begins to change for Tom when he finds his dead father’s copy of Catcher in the Rye, containing a secret code and some obscure clues. Suddenly Tom is trying to unravel the decades-old mystery of his father’s death, meeting not one but two semi-hot girls, learning how to say “whips and chains” in French, and generally turning his life upside down.

Portman’s portrayal of the confusion about ourselves and other people that often typifies adolescence is both occasionally painful and also grimly humorous, and Tom is a likeable narrator despite his flaws. Especially touching is Tom’s ongoing attempt to understand his father’s life and death across the gulf of time, typical of the struggles that so many of us undergo to understand our fathers even while they are still alive. Tom’s relationship with his hapless hippie stepfather, Little Big Tom, also explores this same issue.

This book does contain some portrayals of teenage sexuality, although the scenes are not graphic. The excellent audiobook reading (ISBN 0739331132) includes a revealing interview with the author – a member of the influential punk band MTX – and performances of several original songs written for the book.

Read more reviews:

Product Details:

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (February 12, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385734506
Book Source: Library

Post from: Book Dads: Fathers Who Read!

King Dork

Become A Fan Of Book Dads On Facebook

SMBush — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:15:35 +0000

We’ve started a Facebook page for Book Dads and would like to invite anyone on Facebook to stop by and become a fan. It’s another we can connect with people and share ideas about books with positive views of fathers and fatherhood. We also see it as a great way to promote and share ideas that further the cause of literacy for men and dads, as well as for encouraging fathers to read to their children and help increase literacy in children.

Please feel free to start discussions, wall posts or leave links to relevant literacy programs or articles, as well as links to interesting book reviews that may interest fathers, encourage fathers to read to their children and/or books that present a positive view of fathers and fatherhood. And please leave us feedback on the books we review, did you like it? dislike it? and why.

Thanks, click here to become a fan of Book Dads.

Post from: Book Dads: Fathers Who Read!

Become A Fan Of Book Dads On Facebook

Mommy Niri Interviews Brian

SMBush — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:05:13 +0000

Brian was interviewed by Mommy Niri about Book Dads. If you’d like to find out more about Book Dads, how it started and what we hope to accomplish with out site, then please visit Mommy Niri and read the interview.

While you are there please vote for Mommy Niri in the Nickelodeon Parents Pick Awards, she was nominated for Best Local Blog Boston.

Post from: Book Dads: Fathers Who Read!

Mommy Niri Interviews Brian

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Brian Frank — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:28:53 +0000

Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Edited by Ben Nussbaum
Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan

In this Smithsonian Institution book, a young boy and his male caregiver – seen only obliquely – go out to a ballgame. The text of the book consists of the lyrics of the popular song.

Young children will enjoy the bold eye-catching caricatures that illustrate this story, as well as having the words sung to them. Older children will enjoy the brief appendix, which explains the origin of the song and how it became a baseball tradition.

Product Details:

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Soundprints Corp Audio; Paperback Book with CD edition (March 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1592495931
Book Source: Library

Post from: Book Dads: Fathers Who Read!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Contrary Bear

Brian Frank — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:05:51 +0000

Contrary Bear
Written by Phyllis Root
Illustrated by Laura Cornell

A little girl’s best friend is her stuffed bear, or as her dad calls him, Contrary Bear. Contrary Bear doesn’t want to wear shoes to go outside, throws sand at playmates, won’t be quiet at naptime, and much more. But after being naughty all day and getting dad very mad, it looks like Contrary Bear may have gone too far this time.

The poor dad in this book is stuck having to practice good parenting with a little girl who is behaving very badly (and blaming it on Contrary Bear as well). The beauty of this book is that the dad is shown applying proper discipline, but also getting frustrated and angry just as all real parents do (the drawings of him freaking out are priceless and will be instantly recognizable to any caregiver). In the end, all is well between the girl and her father with the promise that Contrary Bear will try harder to be good tomorrow.

If you and your child have been fighting lately or if you’ve recently had to endure a rash of bad behavior, this is a good book to share together to shed some humor on the situation. It also sends the very important message that fathers love their children even when we need to discipline them (or their bears).

Product Details:

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Laura Geringer; 1st edition (April 26, 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060250852
Book Source: Library

Post from: Book Dads: Fathers Who Read!

Contrary Bear

20th Edition Book Review Blog Carnival

SMBush — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:19:26 +0000

Happy Father’s Day and welcome to the 20th edition of the Book Review Blog Carnival hosted here at Book Dads. We’ve got a wide variety of great book reviews here for you to read, and we’ll start off the list with a few that are perfectly suited for celebrating our favorite holiday.

Joining the carnival is easy, just submit your book reviews here. The 21st edition of the Book Review Blog Carnival will be hosted by I’ll Never Forget the Day I Read a Book! on July 5, 2009. Enjoy!

Father’s Day Finds:

Janelle @ Brimful Curiosities presents My Daddy Likes to Say – Book Review and Giveaway posted at Brimful Curiosities. The children’s book My Daddy Likes to Say is an entertaining take on familiar idioms a dad might say to his children.
Brian Frank presents Daddies posted at Book Dads. In this oversized paperback a little boy asks his dad for five more minutes of playtime before bed, so that they can pretend to be animals together. As father and son change shape from rhinos to chameleons to bears, the little boy recites rhymes about the fun things they do together as animals.
Great Kid Books presents A picture book for Father’s Day: Molly and Her Dad posted at Great Kid Books. A fun picture book that celebrates a dad who lives far away getting to know his daughter.
Anastasia Suen presents 5 Great Books about Fathers posted at 5 Great Books. A nice recommended reading list of 5 books about dads.
Brian Frank presents DadLabs Guide to Fatherhood: Pregnancy and Year One posted at Book Dads. Now the four fathers of DadLabs – with nine children between them – have set their sights on sharing advice with other fathers on the joys and perils of pregnancy and year one of a baby’s life.
Jim Murdoch presents The Truth About Lies: Dearest Father posted at The Truth About Lies. This is a new translation of a letter that Kafka wrote to his father in which he talks about his childhood, his jobs, his attempts at marriage, his writing, Judaism and more. It is a very detailed summing up of his relationship with his father and many of the issues that form the bases of his writing. Essential reading for anyone interested in learning more about Kafka.
Susan Gaissert presents A Gift for Baby by Jan Hunt posted at The Expanding Life. A wonderful picture book that celebrates attachment parenting.

Fiction:

Christina M. Rau presents Sworn Testimony posted at Livin’ The Dream (One Loser At A Time). Anita Shreve’s Testimony will haunt you for days.
Bart presents Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer posted at Bart’s Bookshelf. Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the Moon closer to the Earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun?
KerrieS presents NAME TO A FACE, Robert Goddard posted at MYSTERIES in PARADISE. Crime fiction set in the Scilly Isles, a trail of deceit, murder and greed.
switch2life presents switch2life: Book Review:”White Man Falling” posted at switch2life. White Man Falling is a quite interesting title for any book; it certainly raised my curiosity level so much that I picked up this book right away.
Jim Murdoch presents The Truth About Lies: The Sonnets posted at The Truth About Lies. When and for whom Shakespeare wrote his sonnets has puzzled scholars for ages. In his novel ‘The Sonnets’ Collins takes some of the clues and wraps a convincing story around them painting a believable and revealing portrait of the young bard’s life and loves.
KerrieS presents THE MYSTERIOUS MR QUIN, Agatha Christie posted at MYSTERIES in PARADISE. A delightful and very readable set of Agatha Christie short stories.
KerrieS presents RITUAL, Mo Hayder posted at MYSTERIES in PARADISE. Just after lunch on a Tuesday in April, nine feet under water, police diver Flea Marley closes her gloved fingers around a human hand. Crime fiction set in Bristol, UK.
Clark Bjorke presents The Last Witchfinder posted at I’ll Never Forget the Day I Read a Book!. James Morrow’s historical fantasy pitting Newtonian natural philosophy against witchcraft ans superstition in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Clark Bjorke presents Life Sentences posted at I’ll Never Forget the Day I Read a Book!. Laura Lippman’s latest novel is set in her hometown of Baltimore but without Tess Managhan.
Andy Hayes presents Life Imitates Art: Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged | Sharing Experiences posted at Sharing Experiences. This is one of my favourite novels of all time – and while I know its contents are controversial, you can’t disagree that Rand has a knack for describing characters in superb detail.
KerrieS presents RETIREMENT HOMES ARE MURDER, Mike Befeler posted at MYSTERIES in PARADISE. Simultaneously a cozy murder mystery with the usual red herrings, and a realistic exploration of the problems that be-set the elderly with advancing age.

Non-Fiction:

Elizabeth Hargrave presents Bird ID books posted at The Natural Capital. In this post, we’ll review three current field guides to birds in our area. As a case study, we’ll use a bird that was an occasional visitor to our condo’s flower boxes in Dupont Circle: the house finch.
MBB presents Personal Finance Book Reviews posted at Money Blue Book Blog.
GrrlScientist presents Falconer on the Edge: A Man, His Birds, and the Vanishing Landscape of the American West posted at Living the Scientific Life. A review of the new book by Rachel Dickinson, a biography that provides a rare glimpse into one season in the life of one of the USA’s foremost falconers and his birds.
Mike Bergin presents Review: Hope is the Thing with Feathers by Christopher Cokinos posted at 10,000 Birds. Charlie Moores recommends this personal chronicle of vanished birds.
GrrlScientist presents Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals posted at Living the Scientific Life. by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson, this book explores what the most commonly kept our pets and other domestic animals need to live a good live — to be happy.
jim presents Review: Money Strategies for Tough Times by Matt Bell posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.
Jaynie presents Here’s Looking Like You, Kid » Blog Archive » Collecting Vintage Vanity Items posted at Here’s Looking Like You, Kid. A review of Vintage Compacts & Beauty Accessories by Lynell Schwartz.
Sammy-Jo at The Only Number presents Her Review: Steve Harvey Gets Personal posted at The Only Number.
David Gross presents The Pirce of Freedom posted at The Picket Line. Kirkus Discoveries calls “The Price of Freedom” “classic Thoreau presented in a thorough, illuminating volume.”

Post from: Book Dads: Fathers Who Read!

20th Edition Book Review Blog Carnival