In this delightful story, Julie meets a new boy in her neighborhood, David, whose father is a giant.

"Munsch has another winner in this appealing story." - Canadian Materials

"The pace is quick, the events bizarre, the appeal guaranteed." - Calgary Herald

"David's Father touches on a fantasy children (and some adults) have: to find someone big, powerful and kind to protect them from a harsch world. And it does it with great humour and charm. Michael Martchenko's drawings, as wonderfully exaggerated as the plot, perfectly complement the text." - Quill & Quire

Julie is freaked out on her way home from school to see movers taking a spoon as big as a shovel, a fork as large as a pitchfork, and a knife as long as a flagpole into a neighboring house. "'Yikes,' said Julie, 'I don't want to get to know those people at all.'" The next day, and on the same spot, she sees a new boy who invites her to play. Although it is near where those enormous implements went, the boy looks normal to her and she plays with him. At five o'clock comes the sound of an enormous call for "DAVID!!" that sends her scampering home to hide in her room until breakfast. The next day, she plays with David again and learns that his father is a giant. Gradually overcoming her shyness, she has dinner with David and his father. She gets over her fears when she sees that David's father is gentle and caring.

"David, you don't look very much like your father." "Well, I'm adopted." These days many families make no special effort to adopt children who look just like the parents. This book also gives you the chance to explain how love and caring are more important than similarities of appearance.

They then go out together. The children are ignored by the adults they meet, whether in crossing the street or buying things. Kids also try to pick on them. In each case, people become more considerate when David's Father says something in his loud voice like "STOP" or "THOSE KIDS ARE MY FRIENDS" or "BEAT IT." Some may interpret these incidents as bullying. I didn't see it that way. David's Father only steps in after wrongs are occurring, and he does the least he could do to remedy the situation. The overreactions by those who hear him are just there for fun. David's Father didn't demand those overreactions. People are just responding with trepedition to his size, as Julie originally had done.

Since all children are smaller than almost all adults, taking some of the fear out of size is a good subject for a book like this one. So I commend Mr. Munsch for his selection of story subject, theme, and plot.

To me, though, the best part of the book is to be found in the humorous illustrations that give the story a light, friendly tone. For example, Mr. Munsch's punchline ("Wait until you meet my grandmother.") is solid, but when combined with the view of a large gorilla leg in a red pump towering over the two children it becomes hilarious.

You should anticipate questions from your child about what the advantages are of various kinds of differences, such as people of other religions, with appearances dissimilar to yours, having disabilities, and experiencing mental problems. Your child will be quick to spot the issues for these differences, but much slower to see the advantages. If your family is religious, I suggest that you make your explanations in terms of the values that your family believes in and upholds in your worship. For example, Job's trials may be appropriate as one source of ideas for those who study the Old Testament.

Vive les differences!

This is simply plain fun enjoyable reading kids love   June 15, 1998
 2 out of 6 found this review helpful

Robert Munsch is one of the all time best children's authors. I enjoy reading his books to my kindergarten class. They love to hear how silly his books are!


sends a questionable message   February 11, 1998
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I bought this book based on its description, thinking it would be a great little story about accepting people's differences. However, after a couple of times through, I gave up trying to put a favorable spin on it for my little girl. While it is a fairly entertaining little story, it is marred for us by the message that David's father is acceptable because he is so big and frightening that he scares people into giving the children what they want. David's father is cool because he's a bully? It seems to me we already have too many "might makes right" stories.