Kevin and His Dad

Kevin and His Dad By Irene Smalls Illustrated by Michael Hays Little Brown Young Readers Hardcover, $[...] 32 pages ISBN: 978-0-316-79899-0 Book Review by Kam Williams "What could be better for a young boy than to spend a whole day with his father! With mom away on a Saturday, that's exactly what Kevin gets to do. First, he and his dad clean the house together, and then it's time for some baseball and even a movie. Told in Kevin's words, this lovely picture book evokes the excitement, pride, pleasure and love a boy can experience with a father who includes him in both the work and play of a weekend day." -- Excerpted from synopsis -- With Father's Day looming on the horizon, I'm sure plenty of folks are starting to think about buying a meaningful gift for the man in their life. Well, any dad with a young son would undoubtedly appreciate this timeless classic, first published a decade ago, by Irene Smalls, the award-winning author of 15 children's books and 3 interactive storytelling CDs designed with African-American youngsters in mind. Over the years, Kevin and His Dad has proven to be increasingly invaluable given the unfortunate statistics on the state of the black family. For this reason, I heartily recommend this socially-relevant book which nourishes the notion of black boys bonding with their fathers. Neither sensational nor fanciful in tone, it rather relates a simple day-in-the-life of a father and son content just to be in each other's company. Delightfully-illustrated by Michael Hays, the matter-of-fact narrative unfolds in a way which suggests that Kevin takes all the pleasure in the world in such seemingly-mundane experiences as doing household chores, playing catch, or going to see a movie, at least when he's next to his dad. Credit must go to the insightful author for subtly driving home such a salient point, for besides simply having a natural way with words, she's a cultural historian with degrees from Cornell and NYU on her impressive resume'. Ever so subtly, she weaves a richness right into the fabric of her carefully-crafted tale which reflects a deep understanding of how to touch on the African-American condition in an understated fashion while simultaneously exploring a very universal theme to which people of any ethnicity can readily relate. Ms. Smalls has dedicated Kevin and His Dad to the source of her inspiration, namely, her nephew Kevin who was adopted by his altruistic Aunt Irene at the age of 7. I couldn't think of a better Father's Day gift than this truly touching tome. [...]

Sure, sure, this book provides a good African-American role model, shows an authentic big-city setting, yadda yadda yadda.What my wife really enjoyed about this book is that Kevin and his dad spend the first 2/3rds of the book doing CHORES around the house together. So, ladies, if you want your man helping out more with the laundry, the dishes, the windows, etc., this is a good way to get your kids pestering Daddy to do just that.This is a well-written, well-paced book, and is age-appropriate from 3 to 7-8. A very pleasant read. Highly recommended.

This book is terrific for any child who can never get enough of his/her dad. Kevin gets to spend an entire day just with his dad. I especially like the way they clean house together before they enjoy the rest of their day; a trip to the park and then, a movie. The illustrations are done with such tenderness and beauty that an adult will appreciate the reading experience as much as the child.