A Story About a Father & Son by Sachiko Otohata and Brendyn Zachary
This review first appeared on Reader Views Kids. Read the Reader Views Kids version here.
“A Story About a Father & Son: Two Points of View One Story” is a loving and lovely picture book by Sachiko Otohata and Brendyn Zachary. It follows a father and son as the son grows up and, eventually, becomes a father himself. The book’s first half shares the journey from the father’s perspective and the second half is from the son’s perspective. The book covers milestones from first steps to starting school to getting married. While the years pass happily, they do not always pass perfectly and both father and son share some lessons and trepidations along the way.
Adults reading this picture book aloud will find themselves wondering about both the milestones their child has hit and the ones still to come. The story encourages adults to consider how they will handle all of the changes that are inherent in being a parent while also normalizing that there will be some missteps along the way. Children being read to will hopefully gain an understanding of how much in their lives is laid out before them. They will additionally see that while parents love and care for them, they also have worries and that’s okay.
The hand-drawn illustrations are quite endearing. They are in a comforting style with enough detail for kids to look at and engage with. The facial expressions of the people depicted in the book also clearly convey emotion, which is useful for children just learning to contemplate questions such as “How do you think this character is feeling?” The illustrations also emphasize each half’s perspective by literally being from a different perspective.
As children grow, there are various milestones that they encounter. While many books dive into a child taking on life’s new and growing challenges, not many additionally include how parents tackle watching their child grow and, at times, struggle. Sachiko Otohata and Brendyn Zachary’s delightful and poignant picture book “A Story About a Father & Son: Two Points of View One Story” sweetly and soundly shows the journey of a father and his baby boy through their lives to the point of the baby boy having his own baby. Charming illustrations deftly illuminate the different perspectives, wonderfully rounding out this book.
A Story About a Father & Son by Schiko Otohata and Brendyn Zachary, Independently Published
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