Dad and Pop - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

      I wanted to love this book.
     And I was so happy when I did!
     If you're wondering why I didn't hold this review for Father's Day, I know, it isn't a new release, so I wasn't rushing it for that. It's simply that we don't do Perfect Picture Book reviews in the summer. And this book deserves some reader love. Put this one on your list.
    
Title: Dad and Pop
Author: Kelly Bennett
Illustrator: Paul Meisel
Publisher: Candlewick, 2010
FICTION
Intended Audience: 4-7
Themes: Step parents, family
Opening: "I have two fathers.
               I call this one Dad,
               and this one Pop.

Synopsis:  A girl describes how her two fathers are different. The reader learns that the girl's parents have divorced and remarried in the second set of spreads where she is a baby in a picture with Dad and a young girl standing next to a woman in a wedding dress with Pop. There is no judgmental approach in how the two fathers are different-just the facts. And they're alike in more than one important way.

Dad likes to fish. Pop is a fish.

What I liked about this book: I grew up in a step-family, and although it was the result of death and not divorce, I think step parents often get a bum rap. Granted the merger of two families isn't always the Brady Bunch. Families are all different. But blended families aren't complete disasters either. The tension that existed before a divorce or during a single parenting phase is tough, too. That's another thing I particularly liked in this book. There is no hint of hostility about the divorce. It just "is." While I'm sure there is a place for books that explore the conflicts that do arise in these situations, it's nice to see a totally upbeat book on the subject. This is a blended-family focused on providing loving support for each other. If you're looking for a story with conflict and resolution--you aren't going to find it here.

Activities and Resources: Ms. Bennet's author page has an activity pack to download with mazes and more fun. She also reads the book on her website (the author link above takes you to the page).
     When I check online, everyone from Dr. Phil to WebMD has weighed in on the subject of step parenting. I don't have the expert qualifications to tell which advice carries weight and which does not. I did find it interesting that the Kids Health site has a tab for information on the topic for parents AND a tab for kids to click on that brings up links like "living with step parents" and "what to do if my family fights."
     Read Dad and Pop and compare it to a book Julie Rowan-Zoch reviewed a few week's back: Mary Ann Hoberman's All Kinds of Families.
    
  This review is part of PPBF (perfect picture book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. Along with tons of writing wisdom, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. #PPBF