When Dad Showed Me the Universe

Starred review from July 15, 2015
A small boy and his father take an evening walk in this Swedish import first published in 1998 but only now translated and published in the United States. Dad thinks it's time to show his son the universe. They put on warm socks and get provisions (chewing gum), then walk past the closing shops into the night air to a field the boy recognizes as a place where folks walk their dogs. The boy sees the universe in a snail, a blade of grass, a thistle, but his father wants him to look up. Stars! His father knows all their names and holds the boy up to see the ancient light from stars long gone-and steps into something left by a dog. "So how was the universe?" asks the boy's mom. "It was beautiful," he replies. "And funny." The winsome illustrations perfectly capture the pull and tug of high philosophy and low humor (stepping in dog poo is the quintessential early-grade chuckle, after all). The boy's voice captures how badly he wants to please his father, how thoroughly he is enchanted by the smallest things, how keenly he notices just what kids notice: steam coming from his father's mouth in the cold, his father's whistling to help them walk. Gentle humor pervades this father-son tale in the nicest way. (Picture book. 4-9)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2015

K-Gr 3-The nature of the nighttime excursion a father has in mind is hinted at in the opening scene: a magazine featuring planets and stars can be observed on a cobalt blue chair in his dental office, where his son plays quietly with a tray of toys. The two bundle up and walk through the town, stopping once for "provisions" (gum). This import, published in Sweden in 1998, has a European feel; Eriksson dots Dad's dental jacket with tiny flecks of blood. The duo passes a small, neighborhood fish shop, hardware store, and market. Soft strokes and blended colors depict a cozy, congenial world that is supported by a sensitive translation. As the father enthusiastically guides his son to a hill, the boy asks: "What actually is the universe?" Although he is told it includes everything, his father's actions indicate that, "The way there was straight ahead and then to the left." Dry humor in text and illustration do not undermine the affection and quiet wonder that are also present. As the child marvels at a snail and thistle, Dad instructs him to look up, pointing out the Scorpion, Little Bear, and the Serpent. The heavens are difficult to decipher, but the boy can easily identify the smell and brown glob on Dad's shoe: "It's Big Dog!" VERDICT While the lesson does not play out exactly as had been intended, the child learns that the universe is ."..beautiful....And funny." So is this warm, loving story.-Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.