A Father Like That

Not sure how to rate. The original, cartoony illustrations by Shecter distracted me. The newer edition looks better. The concept is nice, especially the sweet ending.

But I'm a mom, and I feel the mother's pov, and it feels to me like she's being dissed for 1. not being a good enough parent and 2. not keeping or finding a father for the boy. Ok, yeah, a boy needs a dad, but really she's doing the best she can. At least the boy trusts her enough to talk about this imaginary father with her, so there's that.

Age 4-7
In this book handles an issue of a young boy whose father left before he was born and he thinks knows exactly what a good father would be like. The book expresses a boy's description of a man who treats his son, and his mother with love and respect and make it clear that the boy is describing the parent he wants and needs and has never had. The soft tones of the realistic illustrations make it clear that the mother recognizes how idealized this figure is and encourages her son to be that man. This is an effective book but more suited to be used one on one and on a child who is missing that other parent figure.

A Father Like That, is a very good read. The little boy lives at home with just his mother. The book does not specify if his father passed away or just is not in the picture but the little boy has fantasies about what kind of person his father would be and the things that they would do together. I can really relate to this book because my father passed when I was 6, so I know how it feels to wonder about him. The only reason I think this book would be controversial is because of the fact that it is a black family without a father figure, which is a big stereotype in today's society.

“A Father Like That,” follows the life of a little boy who lives at home with just his mother. Although the book does not specify if his father passed away or just is not in the picture, the story follows the little boy as he fantasies about what kind of person his father would be and the things that they would do together. Some of the things he imagines is playing checkers with his father before bed, and a father to be on his side whenever he needs help. By the end of the story, the boy’s mother tells him, that even though he may never find a father like that, maybe one day he can be a father like that for his own children. The illustrations are beautiful and realistic. The best part is that they follow a racially diverse family. show more I would recommend this story for students ages 4-8.
This book was found at the Pierce College Library. show less

This book is about a boy who longs to have a father to do father-son things with. He wants to be able to play checkers with his father before bed and he wants his father to be on his side whenever something went wrong. At the end of the story, the boys mother tells him, that just in case he never finds a father like that to always remember that one day, he can be a father like that himself for his own children.

Great book on how a child has no father. The boy talks about all the things he could do with his father if he was there and at the end the mother says to the boy he could one day be that father to someone else. Heart felt book appropriate for ages 4-7

I loved this book. I liked how in the beggining it kind've left it to your imagination to know what happened to the boys father. The end was beautiful when his mother explains that all the way he imagined his father to be will the man and father he will end up being someday!
Ages: 3-6
Plot