Very soon lots of children will be going back to school but what about their Dads? What happens when children need to teach their Dads how to behave?! We love this role reversal story which turns a familiar situation on its head in a way that children will identify with.
The Story: Anna says she’ll forgive her dad for picking her up late if he’ll go to School for Dads. The following day their roles are reversed as Anna prepares her father for school and then becomes his teacher. The first lesson involves telling the dads what they are not supposed to do then other familiar lessons follow. By the end of the day the children realise that it isn’t easy being a grown up and that despite some shortcomings all their fathers have qualities that should be celebrated.
School for Dads takes an amusing look at what happens when children try to improve their fathers’ behaviour and show them what is important to them. Amongst other things the children tell their dads not to keep looking at their phones and to stop saying No. Familiar school situations are given amusing twists – the dads have fun at break time but are not so well behaved at lunchtime(!) and we love the creativity of the art lesson (especially Anna’s dad’s craft).
The rhyming text has a lovely rhythm and is easy to read aloud. Ada Grey’s bold and colourful illustrations are fun and busy and the six dads are all very different, this is a great example of a diverse picture book. The illustrations humorously convey the chaos that is caused by the dads while they are at school and we love their excitement on the school run which they undertake on scooters, skateboards and even a pogo stick!
This is a fun picture book to enjoy with your child before the start of the new school year and would make a great birthday or Fathers’ Day present for a special dad.
Age Range: 4 +
Authors: Adam and Charlotte Guillain / Illustrator: Ada Grey
Leave a Reply