My Daddy and Me

by Jerry Spinelli

I can’t wait for my daddy to come home from work. There are so many things to do!

In a loving tribute to fathers and sons, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli and New Yorker artist Seymour Chwast join talents to celebrate the very best moment of the when daddy comes home.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

When Jerry Spinelli was a kid, he wanted to grow up to be either a cowboy or a baseball player. Lucky for us he became a writer instead.

He grew up in rural Pennsylvania and went to college at Gettysburg College and Johns Hopkins University. He has published more than 25 books and has six children and 16 grandchildren.
Jerry Spinelli began writing when he was 16 — not much older than the hero of his book Maniac Magee. After his high school football team won a big game, his classmates ran cheering through the streets — all except Spinelli, who went home and wrote a poem about the victory. When his poem was published in the local paper, Spinelli decided to become a writer instead of a major-league shortstop.

In most of his books, Spinelli writes about events and feelings from his own childhood. He also gets a lot of material from his seven adventurous kids! Spinelli and his wife, Eileen, also a children's book author, live in Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Slytano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a parent is tough. It doesn't matter if you are a mom or a dad...either way, it is tough.

This one happens to be about dads. It isn't explicit in saying so, but it is sort of a single dad. It can be interpreted anyway you want, but I inferred as much from reading this.

The thing is, I would probably recommend this to a father rather than a child. It is all about how excited a child gets when his father arrives home. I think it is easy to take that for granted, and seeing it on the pages is a tender reminder that our children love their parents.

Also, I thought the artwork was childish. Babyish. A good picture book demands responsible art. What is this art?

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see this working as a writing starter in the primary grades. The book contains simple, relatable details about a father son relationship that could stimulate connections in young readers. The dog motif is odd, but it doesn't take away from the overall beauty of the book and the writing doesn't come off like a dog story. That must have been an illustrator decision.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple and enjoyable read about all the things a little kid likes to do with his dad when he comes home from work. I'm not a fan of the illustrations, but the story is relatable and fun. This would definitely make a good group read aloud and spark some discussion about what fun things we like to do with our dads. 4 stars, bumped down to 3 because the illustrations are just not good, childish and why on earth did they portray the characters as dogs????? It really distracts from the story.

[Marissa Masterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Daddy and Me is contemporary realistic book written by Jerry Spinelli. It is about a father and son that are dogs. The little dog talks about all he fun things he likes to do with his dad. This story is well written according to the literary standards. It has very colorful illustrations that match with the text. The characters are easily distinguished and well rounded. The characters do in fact resemble real world people except form them being dogs. They take part in events that normal father and sons would do such as playing hide-n-seek and playful wrestling. All the events are plausible. Children would definitely believe them and probably do the same things. One part in the book where children could really relate to is when the little boy pretends to drive all the way to Kalamazoo with his father in the passengers seat, but they just stay in the driveway. The plot resolution is believable. It ends with the father putting his son to bed. It is a really cute ending that fits the book very well. I really enjoyed this book. i think it would be a great one for the classroom because most children would be able to see themselves as the little boy. I will definitely use it in my classroom one day.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jerry Spinelli did a wonderful job of writing a book about just a father and a son. It goes throughout their daily and nightly activities.

Classroom: I would use this to make sure I have a variety of "boy" books read in my classroom. It is also cute in explaining daily routines and schedules.

[Trin.Jen.Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells a lot of stuff a son and dad could do together! -Jeni
"I like when the little doggy drives" - Hannah (friend)
"I like when the doggy dances" - Anna
"I like that they play together" - Trinity

[Stacy Kirkman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice story about a young pup and what he likes to do with his dad. Basically a story about a son whose dad has time for him. Would be relatable for kids who have similar family life, but wouldn't be a good read for a child who doesn't have a father figure. Pictures are a little scary.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a nice story about a boy who describes all the things he likes to do with his dad. Very poetic and an enjoyable read.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a nice book about a father and son pair of dogs who have an excellent, dynamic relationship. The story that Jerry Spinelli writes is upbeat and ebullient, bringing a smile and giving hope.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

PB 27: I liked that I could see the brush strokes in the pictures, and that they were dogs. The story was cute. My favorite part was probably about when haircuts was discussed.

[Jamie Schaal · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Jude's favorites ...oh so long ago.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pup loves spending time with his dad whether it's playing, baking, gardening or a variety of other tasks.