Review by Booklist Review
Ah, dad jokes, those so-bad-they're-funny mainstays of fatherly humor. Here is a look from a little boy who begins each page turn with the statement, My dad thinks he's funny. Is Dad funny? Not if you've heard these groaners a hundred times before, which you have. Example: Whenever I say, I'm hungry,' Dad says, Hello, Hungry. Pleased to meet you.' But the sheer repetition of these eye-rollers produces a cumulative effect of amusement and, more to the point, tenderness. Though the boy's expression is usually neutral, clearly the two are fond of each other, and Dad just wouldn't be Dad without his wisecracks. There is quite a bit of repetition in the text, but that is mostly ameliorated by Jellett's mixed-media illustrations, which paste our two characters into a series of unique backdrops, from cardboard to graph paper to construction paper, all of it colored and accessorized page by page to keep things off-kilter. A snicker-inducing read-aloud, especially with Mom.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Australian author Germein pokes good-natured fun at the kind of father who always has a corny quip or pun at the ready-much to the chagrin of his son (Jellett provides a four-step diagram of how to perform "the eye roll"). "My dad thinks he's funny," says the boy, who shares his spiky ginger hair with his progenitor. "When I tell Dad my foot hurts, he says, 'No problem. You've got another.' " And it's not just on the home front: "When people say, 'How are you feeling?' Dad says, 'With my hands.' When people say, 'Would you like sugar?' Dad says, 'I'm sweet enough.' " Jellett's mixed-media art includes cut-paper shapes and rough outlines, creating a fresh, extemporaneous style. Readers whose fathers are founts of one-liners will groan with recognition-and dads who don't have a joke for every occasion will find plenty of ammunition. Ages 5-8. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Any child whose father responds to questions or requests with a silly quip will identify with this young narrator. Repeating the refrain "My dad thinks he's funny," the boy gives abundant examples. "When I say, 'Dad, I don't know how,' he says, 'I know How. He's What's brother.'" "And when I tell Dad I think there's something in my eye, he says, 'Yeah, an eyeball.'" And he's not the only one who is the butt of dad's jokes. The boy tells readers, "When people say, 'Would you like sugar?' Dad says, 'I'm sweet enough,'" and when Mom says, "I'm just going to jump in the shower,' Dad says, 'That sounds dangerous.'" Many of the illustrations, rendered in mixed media, include childlike outline drawings and are filled with visual jokes as well. One shows a greatly enlarged dad viewed from below intent on making "a special announcement," and his son racing to leave the room "before it really starts to smell." Another depicts a toilet in the center of a maze accompanying dad's "Don't get lost!" in response to his son's statement, "I'm going to the bathroom." If the jokes get too corny for them, readers can always perfect the eye roll, shown here in four easy steps. A fun book for kids and parents to share and groan over together.-Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT (c) Copyright 2013. 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
My dad thinks he's funny. When people say, 'How are you feeling?' Dad says, 'With my hands.'" There are two dozen of these jokes, and they are funny, as are the mixed-media illustrations, which include a diagram showing readers how to do "the eye roll." Not so funny? Germein's decision to end on a dull note despite the humor that preceded it. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Everyone knows that dad who constantly cracks jokes. Some are funny and some not so much. Australian author Germein fashions this title out of a string of jokes, one-liners and wordplay. As with any audience of such antics, the narrator's responses vary from a chuckle, laughing out loud or an eye-roll to utter confusion. Mixed-media illustrations by Jellett appear to utilize collage, adding texture and a do-it-yourself feel. The text has a loose structure. On just about every spread, the book's title serves as a preamble to the series of jests. "My dad thinks he's funny. When people say, How are you feeling?' Dad says, With my hands.' When people say, Would you like sugar?' Dad says, I'm sweet enough.' " One of the more successful quips, sure to cause some giggles, is "when Dad says, Time for a special announcement,' we leave the room fast, before it really starts to smell." Here, the picture's perspective is from below, making the dad look ominous; on the lower right, his son attempts to flee. Overall, this is an amusing tribute to dads who like to yuck it up. Share with readers with enough knowledge and sophistication to get the humor so the results are either guffaws or groans instead of blank stares. (Picture book. 5-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
