Things to Do with Dad

by Sam Zuppardi, Sam Zuppardi (Illustrator)

Overview

Can a young boy figure out how to turn an obstacle into an opportunity in this nearly wordless picture book?

A morning of fun with Dad takes a turn for the boring when a long to-do list interferes. At first content to let Dad cross things off his list, the boy in the story soon realizes that the whole day will be spent on chores — unless he can come up with a solution. In his singularly expressive, kid-friendly style, author-illustrator Sam Zuppardi crafts a colorful celebration of the fun that can be had with just a little imagination — and a trusty green crayon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763681463
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	04/11/2017
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sam Zuppardi is the author-illustrator of The Nowhere Box and Jack’s Worry, as well as the illustrator of the picture book Nobody’s Perfect by David Elliott and the middle-grade series the Misadventures of Edgar and Allan Poe by Gordon McAlpine. Sam Zuppardi lives in York, England.

Editorial Reviews

★ 04/17/2017
After a gleeful pancake breakfast, a boy and his father gaze despondently at a to-do list tacked to the refrigerator. The boy keeps his father company as he does dishes and builds a bookcase, but things kick into high gear when the boy augments the items on the list: making the beds turns into “sail a pirate ship” (the billowing sheets evoke sails) and instead of watering the garden, they “explore the jungle.” The book’s only text is the words on the list, but Zuppardi’s (Jack’s Worry) joyful, mixed-media art speaks volumes about how ordinary activities—yes, even chores—can be made special with a little imagination. Ages 4–8. Agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Zuppardi's acrylic-and-pencil illustrations have a charming, childlike quality, especially the young child, who is basically a 3-D stick figure with lines for hair, and his imagination truly runs amok when the child amends the list (the only words in the entire book).With some imagination, even chores can be fun.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The book’s only text is the words on the list, but Zuppardi’s (Jack’s Worry) joyful, mixed-media art speaks volumes about how ordinary activities—yes, even chores—can be made special with a little imagination.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The cartoon-style acrylic and pencil illustrations perfectly capture the boy’s flights of fancy and his dad’s willingness to play along. Adults could learn a thing or two from this father about making mundane tasks more enjoyable. A great choice for one-on-one sharing.
—School Library Journal

Bright and breezy watercolor-and-pencil illustrations perfectly express the concept and it’s easy to smile along at the joyfulness of the father and son.
—Washington Post

This is truly a fun read. The lighthearted banter between Jack and the narrator is sure to create chuckles along the way.
—Story Monsters Ink

Gloomy that his father doesn’t have time to play, the boy has the brilliant idea of recasting drudgery as fun. Now the job of making a bed becomes sailing a pirate ship, and the garden that needs watering becomes a jungle to explore.
—The Wall Street Journal

From the Publisher

02/01/2017
PreS-Gr 2—A happy youngster and his father cook a magical pancake breakfast. Smiles fade when their eyes turn to the not-so-fun to-do list on the fridge. However, with Dad, even washing dishes can be fun. While Dad washes, the boy blows bubbles with an octopus and submarine, obviously imagining an underwater adventure. Tasks get more creative as "make the beds" turns into "sail a pirate ship" and "water the garden" becomes "explore the jungle." Finally, the exhausted duo rest together beneath a tree, content with a day well spent. The minimal text is limited to the original and revised to-do lists, but no other words are needed. The cartoon-style acrylic and pencil illustrations perfectly capture the boy's flights of fancy and his dad's willingness to play along. Adults could learn a thing or two from this father about making mundane tasks more enjoyable. VERDICT A great choice for one-on-one sharing.—Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA

School Library Journal

★ 2017-03-20
A to-do list sure can be a drag.The day starts promisingly enough with a young child-and-dad pair, both white, making pancakes together. Their joy is evident in the butterflies and stars that fill the spread…and then disappear abruptly as the two regard the list hanging on the fridge. The child finds some enjoyment in parallel play next to Dad as he washes the dishes, but skepticism sets in as Dad moves on to building the bookcase, and both are dissatisfied by the third item—vacuuming. Then brilliance strikes, and, green crayon in hand, the child amends the to-do list, now dubbed "Things To Do With Dad." Dad takes to the ideas with relish, fully entering into his offspring's imaginative play: making the beds is turned into sailing a pirate ship; hanging out the laundry becomes a circus; and watering the garden is a joint exploration of the jungle. The day ends with the two snuggled together underneath a tree in the yard, and the final page lists the child's ideas of further things to do with Dad. Zuppardi's acrylic-and-pencil illustrations have a charming, childlike quality, especially the young child, who is basically a 3-D stick figure with lines for hair, and his imagination truly runs amok when the child amends the list (the only words in the entire book).With some imagination, even chores can be fun. (Picture book. 2-7)

Kirkus Reviews