Tonight Dad wants to show his son something very special: the universe. Of course, they can’t possibly embark on such a daring adventure unprepared, so they wrap up warm, gather provisions, and then off they go. It’s a long walk, but eventually they get there.
Along the way, they learn that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination, and sometimes the biggest lessons happen when you least expect them.
I’m liking
We’ve come across several books illustrated by Eva Eriksson over the last wee while (including in My Happy Life and The Best Signer in the World) and she is fast becoming one of my favourite illustrators. When Dad Showed Me the Universe is another fabulous showcase of Eriksson’s work. There is a sense of fun is all the images and I love the expressions on the characters faces. There’s a sense of fun in the detail that means that both adults and children can spend a long time on these images.
This book also reminded me of another wonderful Gecko book – Watch Out for the Crocodile (and when I popped over to have a look, this is also illustrated by Eva Eriksson), in that the father takes the child on an adventure. In both instances, the journey turns out to be both internal and external and both parent and child get something unexpected out of the trip. I love that this book has a sense of wonder in it and it beautifully captures the different ways that people experience this.
The conclusion
The sense of wanting your child to appreciate something you love will be an experience that most parents have had and this book is a lovely, whimsical portray of this.
