Holman Wang

As a dad myself, I was immediately attracted to this book. The actual text is pretty standard -- dads do a lot of things -- but the artwork raises the whole thing by at least a letter grade, and makes it a joy to read.

Of particular note is the "making of" section in the back, where adults (and interested kids) get to see behind the scenes of how the photographs were taken. I was particularly impressed with how the artist played with scale in order to photograph small figures in full-sized show more environments.

In a sense, this is an art book masquerading as a children's book, but so what? It was beautiful and I'm proud to have it on my shelf. When my daughter gets a bit older, I'll be happy to read it to her, and maybe it will spur her imagination to some photography projects of her own. show less

Authorstrator Holman Wang is my needle felting hero. I like to dabble in the art of felting wool into adorable little creations, but Holman Wang takes needle felting to a whole new level. In his new books Great Job, Mom! And Great Job, Dad! Holman Wang created the artwork in the book through needle felted scale models that were then photographed. He has created to most beautiful and detailed sets, carefully planned and photographed in such a way to let the outside shine in when the art show more requires it. In Great Job, Dad take a look at the librarian page. The bookshelves he created look a whole lot like the ones at our home, full of some of our most favorite books. See if there are any of yours!

Beyond the incredible illustrations these books are so great to offer children perspective on the things their parents do for them everyday. Not only do Mom and Dad have careers they do during the day, they also have many different jobs they do at home with their children. Not only is mom a carpenter, but she is also a scientist, doctor, DJ, and zookeeper. Not only is dad a manager but he is also a waiter, astronomer, librarian, and pilot. These books help give children an appreciation for all parents do. The books also show mom and dad in ungendered rolls, as nurturers and career persons who both love their children.

These are perfect books to share with early years children to help them understand families and how families work together. show less

This is an adorable, beautifully illustrated board book version of Pride and Prejudice which is designed to allow the classics to be shared with small children, but which will undoubtedly be appreciated by Austen fans of all ages. The story is efficiently reduced to twelve words—friends, sisters, dance, mean, sick, muddy, yes?, no!, write, read, walk, marry—and four characters—Jane, Bingley, Lizzy and Darcy. The book would make an excellent, creative jumping off point for reading aloud show more to kids—either you stick to the original storyline or you use the words and images to create something new. I can see myself reading this to my wee niece in a few years! The illustrations are beautiful photographs of little felt versions of the characters—I think my favourite is muddy Lizzy on the cover. show less

After reading Great Job, Mom! I felt it was only fair to read Great Job, Dad! to my grandaughter. She also enjoyed this one and thought it was funny for some reason. Her dad is a stay at home dad so I know he does a lot of the things in the book with his kids. Again, she didn't understand all the words such as chauffeur or computer engineer, but with the illustrations I was able to explain what each word meant. This is a celebration of fathers and all they do for their families besides their show more nine to five job. Each two-page spread has a gorgeous illustration and a two line stanza that is completed on the next page. The rhyming cadence is easy to read and makes for good pacing. The author includes some information in the back on how the illustrations are created. Each one is a work of art. If you have a child who is artistic, get them this book or its companion Great Job, Mom! to show them the art and allow them to learn about the process. I definitely recommend this to families as well and primary classrooms. The publisher generously provided me a copy of this book upon my request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own. show less