Father's Day Picture Book Special - Part 4

Father's Day: Gift Books

Title: Dadisms

Author: Cathy Hamilton

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (Pan Macmillan), $10.95 RRP

Publication Date: 01/01/2009

Format: Soft cover

ISBN: 9780740772320

For ages: 8+

Type: Picture book

About: I was sent a mini gift pack version of this book which I cannot find online - however the soft and hard cover editions of the book are available (see below). Although I can't speak for the book themselves, I'm presuming they are similar to the little booklet contained in this gift pack, along with cute little 'sayings' printed on flat magnets for the fridge and a 'personalise it yourself' scroll.

Of course, we all know them well - the sayings that come out of Dad's mouth no matter where he lives or when he was born - 'What do you think I am? A bank?' - 'Don't make me stop this car!' - 'You think money grows on trees?' - 'Don't ever let me catching you doing that again'.

Sound familiar? This fun little book translates these Dadisms so the rest of us can understand what the heck he is talking about - and have a little bit of a laugh at the same time.

This book is available online

Title: A Little Book for Dad

Author: Patrick Regan

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (Pan Macmillan) $8.95 RRP

Publication Date: 01/11/2007

Format: Hardcover with dustjacket

ISBN: 9780740764059

For ages: 5+

Type: Gift book

About: The perfect little dad book to stuff inside a bundle of gifts - this is your classic pocketbook filled with lovely adages about Dad and just how special he is. For example, did you know that a dad is worth more than 100 school masters (George Herbert) and that noble fathers have noble children (Euripides).

Beautifully stylised with coloured pages and cute illustrations, this would be a lovely surprise for Dad to find under his pillow Sunday morning.

-TM

This book is available online

Title: Dear Dad

Author: Geoff Blackwell

Publisher: Hachette, $16.99 RRP

Publication Date: August 2010

Format: Hardcover with dustjacket

ISBN: 9780733625145

For ages: 0+

Type: Picture book

About: This little hardcover book with dust jacket is the perfect gift for Dad – an extraordinary multi-page gift card, if you will – showcasing fathers all over the world in a series of glorious images.

Compiled by the people behind MILK (Moments of Intimacy, Laughter and Kinship, a photographic compilation initiated by eminent photographer Elliot Erwitt 10 years ago) this mini compendium of Dad Moments is not only beautiful and tear-jerking, it really does bring you amazing and goose-bumping moments of intimacy, laughter and kinship.

Beautiful.

-TM

This book is available online

Title: The New Dad from A to Z

Author: Dan Consiglio

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (Pan Macmillan), $14.95 RRP

Publication Date: 01/08/2010

Format: Soft cover

ISBN: 9780740793530

For ages: Adult

Type: Picture book for adults

About: This A to Z picture book for adults is written by American advertising creative and children's 'art critic', Dan Consiglio, who has an obvious passion for humour and all things artsy.

A sort of outtake on the new dad and his curiosities, it features A-Z listings of the issues that beset Dad - T is for Tired, C is for coffee, E is for Epidural, M is for movies (do you go to the movies? the author applauds you before warning that's about to change).

I careened towards muted laughter and eye rolling with this book. Some of it is funny, some of it is decidedly not, but then, I'm not a new [American] Dad, so I'm not always going to relate.

I'm also not sure about the snapshots used throughout the book - they look thrown together and are totally unstylised (though I do love the dad with the pigtails). I think more clever and candid shots of the author's own life would have been far more fun and far more polished and attractive... but then - here is a woman talking... blokes could feel differently.

Test it out on Dad.

-TM

See Consiglio's art critic website here.

This book is available online