Els Kushner over at Book, Book, Book, in reference to Father’s Day and children’s books, asks Where are the dads? She gives some of her favorite fathers of fiction, and I commented with a handful of my own (The Borrowers, Abiyoyo, Pete’s a Pizza!, McBroom of the McBroom’s Ghost and other stories, Little Bobo, and The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, along with the storyteller of the Just So Stories). Still, it’s a good question.
There’s no reason why every children’s book has to have a father, or a mother for that matter, but it should be easier than it is to come up with half-a-dozen good Dads. So. Gentle Readers, which of your favorite children’s books have good dads?
Tolerabimus quod tolerare debemus,
-Vardibidian.
Inkheart has a great dad, and focuses on the changing relationship between daughter and father.
My first thought was that as a child, I really loved reading about Matthew in the Anne of Green Gables books. But as an adult reading children’s and YA lit, I’d have to say, one of the most awesomest dads is Taxi, from Bruce Brooks’ Midnight Hour Encores. *Fabulous* book, highly recommended.
Danny, the Champion of the World
The pirate king dad in the Pippi Longstocking books 🙂
It’s perhaps aimed a bit older, but both dad’s in Robert Heinlein’s Have Space Suit, Will Travel are great (though not “on-screen” much). I also rather like the dad in his The Rolling Stones. (Both of these are from his juvenile series of books, which I guess are aimed at 13-16 year olds. And are great.)
All excellent suggestions, although I haven’t read Midnight Hour Encores. I’ll look that up.
Say, any Gentle Reader who has recently read or confidently recalls Danny, is it good for a precocious six-year-old, or is there stuff in it that wouldn’t be so hot. We’re in the middle of The Little Princess, and I have to say that the father has … issues.
Thanks,
-V.
I don’t see any reason why Danny would be a problem for a precocious six-year-old. I was probably about that age when I first read it.
Of course, it’s by Roald Dahl, so it’s fairly class-conscious, and there’s some casual brutality in it. Oh, and the whole plot revolves around poaching, so there’s the whole law-vs-justice thing going on.
So there’s certainly stuff to discuss, but nothing that would necessarily be a show-stopper. And the father-son relationship is pretty good, IMHO. Plus, in true kid’s book/YA fashion, the kid gets to save the day.
Other good kids’ book dads: of ones who are present, Martin Melendy (The Saturdays, The Four Story Mistake, Then There Were Five), and Edgar Pye (Ginger Pye and Pinky Pye), and the dad from The Spy Lady and the Muffin Man.
Allowing for the limitations of the time, etc, King Alfred, Aethelflaed’s father from The Edge on the Sword (which is not appropriate for a six-year-old, but is really really good).
Partial credit given to:
The dad in Winnie the Pooh has always seemed pretty cool to me.
peace
Matt
Hmm. I was going to say Alec Ramsey’s dad in the Black Stallion series–but then I realized I was thinking of the trainer, who served as a father figure.
The father of the Pevensey kids in the Narnia Chronicles never shows up. Not a parent to be seen. Wizard of Oz? Ditto.
Drat. I got nuttin’. H. Rider Haggard, Asimov, Dr. Doolittle, Robin Hood, Horse Stories for Girls–all the stuff I read as a kid had no parents in it at all. (Think that might say something about my current life choices? 😉