Review - David's Father

David's Father
by Robert Munsch
illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Date: 1983
Publisher: Annick Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 24
Format: e-book
Source: library

Julie learns that families come in all shapes—and sizes.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Gosh, this is an oldie. I know I read this as a kid, and I remembered that David's father was a giant, but I didn't recall much more than that. It's actually a really nice story about overcoming fear of people who are different than you.

When David's family moves into the neighbourhood, Julie sees the giant utensils and freaks out. Then she meets David, who looks like a regular boy. She finds out that his father is a giant. Reluctantly, she accepts a dinner invitation (but only after finding out they'll be having cheeseburgers and milkshakes). It turns out that David's father, even though he eats octopus and chocolate-covered bricks for dinner, is actually a pretty nice guy... and his mere presence turns out to be quite handy when the kids encounter some bullies from school.

Julie admits that David has a nice father, and even though she still thinks he's a little scary, she doesn't seem inclined to throw away her newfound friendship. I like the message of this one (and the ending is pretty funny, too).

There's a reason this one is a classic. The themes have held up quite well and are still relevant, more than 35 years after it was first published.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.83 out of 5