With Dad

by Richard Jackson, Brian Floca (Illustrator)

A boy with a father in the military reflects on cherished memories of a camping trip with Dad in this warm, reassuring picture book.

Written by acclaimed author Richard Jackson and illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Brian Floca, this timeless story is a perfect Father’s Day tribute.

A red Jeep on a dirt road, two sets of hands on the wheel; fresh-caught trout grilling over a fire; a night in a sleeping bag, the moon glowing outside the tent. Camping with his dad near Michigan’s Au Sable river, a young boy collects these indelible memories, and more.

Now war has called his father away, to drive a different kind of Jeep, and the memories are even more precious. One day soon, he hopes, Dad will come home, and they’ll be headed back into the woods, off to make more.  

Acclaimed editor and author Richard Jackson drew from his own experience for this tender story about the lasting impact of quality time with a parent, especially poignant for military families. Caldecott Medalist and Sibert Honoree Brian Floca’s warm, lively illustrations pair perfectly with Jackson’s timeless words.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Nature, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Military Fiction, Fiction

Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2024

About the author

Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the database with this name. Not all books on this profile belong to the same person.

Reviews

[Caleb M. Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this to my boys twice now, and both times I wasn't able to get through it without choking up.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic father and son book. Though in my house, we all went fishing.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very special book . . . please read the notes.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dripping with nostalgia and the tender memories of a father and their child, this picture book from the late, great Richard Jackson deserves to be an immediate classic. Set in the 1950s with memories from the author's childhood, even modern children will relate to the emotion in this picture book. Brian Floca is doing his best work here with paintings that are absolutely stunning and completely understated. Timeless.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love love love! I lived in Michigan for ten years with my husband, and his parents still live near the Au Sable! So that was really cool. I loved the story, and the ending was real and meaningful. Great illustrations, too.

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently "discovered" Richard Jackson and rushed to get all his books I could from the public library. Each of them are sweet and tender and read as much like a lullaby as a story.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

With its pitch-perfect description and nostalgia for special moments from the past, this picture book [3.5 for me!] is a palpable reminder to live in the present and cherish the time that we have with loved ones. In this case, a young boy relishes a fishing trip he and his father took to the Au Sable River in Michigan. There, they traveled through the woods in a red jeep, which the boy was allowed to help drive, set up camp, went flyfishing, caught, gutted, and grilled trout, and watch for an owl under the full moon. The story is given poignancy when the trip seems to end abruptly, and readers realize that the boy is reflecting on these memories while his father is away at war. Even the comment that his father is off driving a different kind of jeep strikes readers' hearts deeply since they know there's no guarantee that he'll come back home. Consisting of images created with pen and ink, watercolor, and gouache, the artwork is peaceful yet stirring, and the greens of summer when the two are fishing contrast vividly with the bleakness of the icy sidewalks of winter--time having passed--as a bundled-up mail carrier walks carefully along his route, sorting through envelopes and delivering hope to those left behind. Readers can see the cherished letters and envelopes from Dad held in his mother's hand and carefully displayed on a nightstand in the boy's bedroom in the last double-page spread. In front of them is a photograph of Dad and the boy in front of that jeep. On his bed are three toy soldiers. Ah, it's visual details like these and carefully chosen words that make a picture book memorable. Clearly, time spent being with Dad was invaluable.

[TheRetiredSchoolLibrarian |Mrs. Ferraris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief summary: A son and father drive a red Jeep along the upper South Branch Stream of the Au Sable River in Michigan. The father allows his boy to sit in his lap and steer while he drives. They set up their campsite and go trout fishing, where they catch one. The boy is shown how to gut the fish and fry it.

They spend time around the campfire under the full moon talking and joking around.

They return from their trip when his father goes off to war. He and his mother read air-mail letters together, looking forward to his return.

Comments: This is an autobiographical story set in the early 1950s during the Korean War probably when the author's father was called away for duty.

There is more of an explanation for the creation of the story on the copyright page.

The illustrations were beautifully crafted using pen and ink, watercolor, and gouache, giving the story a lovely summery feel.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story told almost completely through the illustrations, this tribute to the author's memories of fishing and camping with his dad is a beautifully illustrated honor to dads everywhere to take their kids out in the woods and on the river to fish. This one memory of the two driving the old truck to the river, camping for the night, cooking the caught trout from the day's adventure feels indelibly set in the boy's mind especially now with the father being called away to military service. Caldecott medalist Brian Floca's muted pastel illustrations perfectly match the recollection.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore Brian Floca's work; the portraiture done for this story sings. Otherwise, this is really the kind of reverie that feels like it should be shared with those who have comparable experiences with their own father/figure. It's a book that, in the end, grieves a loss, but up until that point, you'd think the story was in the present tense--which is genius in that way. It keeps the story present and timeless, outlasting aging and death.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy remembers his camping and fishing trip with dad while missing him during a deployment. WITH DAD offers a gentle example of a father/son relationship. The every day moments of setting up camp and catching a fish. The warmth of their bond makes the heart ache when you realize his dad is now deployed. A missing our family also knows so well. A beautifully illustrated and lovingly told story for dads and their sons.

[Emily Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Dad by Richard Jackson, illustrated by Brian Floca, is a heartfelt picture book about a father and son sharing special moments during a camping trip. From driving a Jeep to stargazing, their adventure shows the strong bond between them. When the father leaves for war, the boy cherishes their memories.

The gentle text and warm illustrations make this book a sweet and emotional read for young children, especially those who may be separated from a parent.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming example of important moments/experiences within relationships that are both momentous and minor. A "small moments" mentor text for young writers to read and consider when choosing and writing about their own lives, even if fictionalized. The story is heartwarming and elicits empathy for the good times and the struggles.
A lovely father/son story to share.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a young boy is missing his dad who has gone off to fight in a war, he remembers the wonderful summers they spent camping and fishing along a river.

A sweet, nostalgic story that will have to be hand sold to readers.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I'm a fan of Brain Floca's work, I'm not as familiar with Richard Jackson. I wasn't sure what to expect while reading With Dad, but it's crafted with a twist that makes the story rather enjoyable at the end while also covering topics of parenthood, childhood, love and loss.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might seem cruel, but honestly this story was working well as a more universal father-son camping trip, but then the story abruptly concludes: "gosh I miss those trips--can't wait for my dad to come back from the war! THE END."

[Natalie Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a boy reflecting on memories of his dad while he is away in the military. It is a heartwarming book that reminds me to cherish my family and loved ones while I have them with me.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how this book shows the love that a father and son share together and the longing a son feels when his father is away a war.

[Anna Wooliver Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

I miss mine every day. He drove a red jeep I learned to drive, badly.

[LS Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was not expecting the emotional punch from such a gentle picture book. wonderful!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found in L4L Volume 118.

[Susan Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is enough to make everyone cry. Add Brian Floca's illustrations and there is no such thing as a dry eye in the house.

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using gentle free verse and a bit of rhyme, a young boy relates an overnight camping trip with his father.

[Emily McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sentimental and nostalgic book in verse—kind of an Owl Moon pace and tone. Sweet illustrations. Ideal for ages 3-8.

[Emmanuella Frimpong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, I like how it talks bout the bond between the son and the father.

[Emma Fultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adorable yet heartbreaking. I need to know if the boy's dad made it back home from the war, but it ends without letting you know. Bittersweet.

[Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special time and memory with dad.

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet father-son camping trip is firmly rooted in the son's memory as he recounts it a year later when his father is now at war. Warm storytelling and evocative art bring this book to life.