Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Pete enjoys watching his father shave until, one morning, Dad unexpectedly shaves off what little hair is left on his balding head. The boy spends the day contemplating this new style, observing how other men handle hair loss and, with his mother, looking at photos of Dad's various hairdos through the years. At bedtime, Dad asks Pete if he should keep the new look and the child answers by giving him a kiss on his bare head. Quite a few youngsters can identify with the experience of having a parent radically alter his or her appearance, and the author subtly examines the emotions that these changes stir up. O'Malley's digitally colored cartoon artwork underscores the tale's humor. Although the illustrations are uneven and occasionally suffer from poor page placement, they are animated and mesh well with the buoyant text. Despite the book's shortcomings, this lighthearted story could encourage fathers to explore their own hair loss with their children.-Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Pete isn't sure how to react when his balding, scruffy dad shaves his head (""He didn't even look like his dad anymore""). A day of reflection sets Pete on the road to acceptance. Despite some too-precious interactions, the text models matter-of-fact discussions about changing appearances. The illustrations humorously incorporate visual and linguistic (a mechanic's ad asks, ""Got Bald Tires?"") manifestations of baldness. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Young Pete has to cope with a small but unsettling change in this low-key family story. Accustomed to rising with his father to "shave" side by side, Pete is startled one morning to see Dad lathering up his scalp too, and mowing off the patchy remains. Even though everyone takes Dad's shiny dome in stride, Pete's thrown off balance--and suddenly looking at other people's tonsorial arrangements with a new awareness. The calm, smiling figures in O'Malley's pictures echo Many's laid-back tone, conveying a "let's just give this a try" easiness that puts the experiment in perspective, and in the end, Pete signals acceptance with a kiss on his father's shiny pate. The marked lack of high drama might make this useful as a help in coping with similar domestic flurries in households with Gen-X parents. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
