Say Daddy!
Mother shares a book about love while Brother shares a book about friendship. Next Aunt Grace shares a book about adventure. Everyone in this family is eager to share books and have the newest member's affection and attention. But all kidding aside, this family knows the bond that is created when reading aloud with someone you love. When Daddy closed the last page, he smiled at me for hours and said, 'Say Daddy! Say Daddy!' He hoped that would be my first word! But wait. Did we hear correctly? 'Book,' I said. 'Book!' Educator Michael Shoulders, who has devoted his career and life to spreading the word that "reading is magic," offers a gentle tale reinforcing the bonding power of a good book and the importance of developing lifelong reading skills. Having been involved in education in many different roles for more than years, Dr. Michael Shoulders travels extensively, visiting schools and speaking conferences across the country. He has written several books for Sleeping Press including D is for Drum: A Native American Alphabet. Mike lives Clarksville, Tennessee. Teri Weidner is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. Her previous children's picture books include Give Yourself to the Rain and Look Both Ways: A Cautionary Tale. Teri lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
| Interest Level | Grade 1 - Grade 4 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 1 |
| Dewey | E |
| Lexile | |
| ATOS Reading Level | 2.7 |
| Guided Reading Level | |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Sleeping Bear Press |
|---|---|
| Available Formats | Hardcover (9781585363544), Boardbook (9781585368631), PDF (9781627530125), Hosted ebook (9781627534093) |
| Copyright | 2008, 2013, 2014 |
| Number of Pages | 32, 26 |
| Dimensions | 9 x 9, 6 x 6 |
| Graphics | Full-color illustrations |
- NYSRA Charlotte Award Suggested Reading List--Primary Category
- Kids' Wings Award List by Kids' Wings Creactive Educaitonal Associates
- Nappa Gold Award/Infants & Toddlers Category
Vegbooks Reviews "Say Daddy!"
I may just be a softie but this board book (you can also purchase it as a hardcover) made me teary! I received a review copy from Sleeping Bear Press. (You’ll be seeing a number of reviews of their review copies from me in the future on Vegbooks.)
The charming watercolor illustrations depict a baby bear being read to by different family members, each one hoping that the baby’s first word will be their name. An excerpt of my favorite iteration of the theme:
When your brother played with you for the first time, he read you a book.
He read about sand castles, bubbles, and how brothers are there forever.
Then he said, “Say Brother. Say Brother.” He hoped Brother would be your first word.
The prose is sweet and I think this would be a great bedtime book, my 2-1/2-year-old and 4-1/2-year-old enjoyed the twist at the end (spoiler alert) where the baby says his first word… “Book!” My daughter picked up the book and “read” it to her little brother right after I finished it – she was able to use the pictures to retell the story (it has been mentioned before on Vegbooks that even board books are great early reading tools). I think reading aloud is so important and each of the bears that read to the baby were fostering a love of reading. The story closes with the Daddy trying one more time to get the baby to say his name. With Father’s Day coming up, I think that if you’re looking for book for a new or expectant father this would be a fun choice. It actually ends with the baby’s first birthday so that is another great occasion to consider gifting Say Daddy.
Author: Michael Shoulders
Having been involved in education for more than 30 years, Dr. Michael Shoulders travels extensively, visiting schools and speaking at conferences across the country. In addition to authoring the companion title, Say Daddy!, he has written several books for Sleeping Bear Press, including G is for Gladiator: An Ancient Rome Alphabet. Mike lives in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Illustrator: Teri Weidner
A Rhode Island School of Design graduate, Teri illustrated more than a dozen children's books, both trade and educational. She worked in watercolor, colored pencil, and a little of whatever else happened to be on her desk at the time ... cat fur included. Teri passed away in 2019. She lived in lovely Portsmouth, New Hampshire with her husband writer Chris Dahlen, their son Nicholas, Mr. Budd the cat, and several fish, all of whom served as models for her work at one point or another.
| Full-color illustrations |