What do you think?
Rate this book
Mi papá
El papá del niño que protagoniza este libro es grande y fuerte. Sin embargo, tiene una pequeña debilidad: por la noche no quiere ir a dormir. Protesta, remolonea, pide un cuento tras otro e inventa mil excusas para no quedarse a solas en el cuarto. ¿Logrará este niño arropar a su papá y apagar la luz? Un cuento contado en primera persona por el niño, con un lenguaje desenfadado y chispeante, arropado por un concepto estético divertido, original y moderno. Este álbum funcionará mejor que cualquier cantinela adulta repetitiva hasta con los más reacios a dormir. Y quién sabe… ¡Quizá algún padre con insomnio lo adoptará también como libro de cabecera!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
March 28, 2012
Few picture book titles come with qualifications. More often than not they are statements of strong purpose. I Can Do It Too or No I Want Daddy. Declarative books with forthright ideas and messages for the preschool set. That’s all well and good, but sometimes you want a book that entices you to pick through its pages from the title onward. Now there is no doubt that My Dad Is Big and Strong, But... is a work of translation. From the minute you look at it it has all the signs. The drawings are fun and eclectic but they feel strangely . . . European, perhaps? And the art inside is a mix of mixed media photographs and graphite. Then there’s the story, which doesn’t end with that kooky twist we Americans almost require in books of this sort these days. Finally there's that title that seems to float in mid-air without direction. Yes, there is no doubt left in your mind that this is a French translation, but there is also no doubt that it is one of the most charming and engaging picture books to hike down the pike in years. A story that upsets expectations but retains its heart, this is the perfect bedtime fare for any kiddo that rejects the very notion of going to sleep (and who has a sense of humor).
Our hero’s dad has many fine and outstanding qualities. He is big. He is strong. But he does have one significant flaw that’s hard to overlook. Every night it’s the same old story. When bedtime rolls around he just adamantly refuses to go. The only thing to do is to start out by reading him some stories. After two he’ll demand another but his son is having none of it. It’s straight to bed and a game of waiting until the dad’s asleep (if the son tries to go to bed early he’ll just have to contend with a wide awake dad barging into his room anyway). Finally he seems to be asleep but just as the son attempts to turn out the life he hears, “No, don’t do that! Leave the light on!” Because while his dad may be big and strong he’s also a bit afraid of the dark.
There’s an entire subgenre of picture books out there where expectations are upended to the delight of the child reader. I can think of four books off the top of my head where a character is scared about the first day of school and then turns out to be a teacher (Back to School Tortoise] by Lucy M. George was the latest). And Amy Krouse Rosenthal went to town with the idea in Little Pea (a pea refuses to eat his dinner of candy), Little Hoot (an owl wants to go to bed while his parents insist he stay up all night), and Little Oink (a pig doesn’t want to dirty his room). Saudo’s book isn’t the first I’ve seen about a parent not wanting to go to bed either. Last year Amy Krouse Rosenthal (yet again) came out with Bedtime for Mommy. It was a sweet enough book (and the illustrations by LeUyen Pham were divine) but there’s something about My Dad is Big and Strong that’s better. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it has something to do with the combination of storytelling, visual and verbal.
The art itself is just a delight. Illustrator Kris Di Giacomo likes to draw figures with striking profiles then give them whole heaping handfuls of energy. The boy’s dad does flips and throws himself bodily to the floor when the prospect of beddy-bye looms near. I enjoyed the fact that the dad always wears his hat, even when he’s tucked into bed. And in these images we never have a moment where the roles are reversed, even for a second. The son is clearly the son in this situation and though he is filling the role of makeshift parent, he’s still just a kid. How else to explain the images of his father picking him up, or the family photos on the walls behind them? Finally, from an aesthetic standpoint I couldn’t help but love that the pages of the book itself were thick and sturdy. They make it feel like it’s worthy of holding on to and treasuring.
Is translation an art or a science? A little of both, I think. In this case it was Claudia Zoe Bedrick who took it upon herself to translate the text of Mon Papa, Il est Grand, Il est Fort, MAIS. Now some translations feel wrong and awkward. Their words feel all elbows and angles, like someone tried to physically cram them into the wrong context. Nothing about this book feels like that. The language flows naturally like when the son explains to his father that he needs to get his rest so that he’ll be in good shape the next day “it’s right at that moment that things get complicated…” Bedrick is adept at pulling out just the right phrase at the right moment, but even more impressive is the fact that she manages to convey the right tone with the writing. The book projects this very familiar parental feeling of affection riddled with irritation. It is sweet and it is patient but it is also pretty darn clear that the son would like to go to bed himself and that just ain’t happening. We relate. Kids won't. They'll just find it funny.
Heck, I even liked the typography of this book, which is saying something right there. I do worry that with its brownish cover there’s a possibility that potential readers will pass right by this book without noticing it on the shelf. The trick is to get it into their hands by talking it up. Once you do, the story will reward them with its strange sweetness. Parents are always looking for interesting bedtime fare, and to find one that’s funny to boot is just a nice plus. Don’t be turned off by the fact that at a glance it doesn’t resemble the hundred carbon copy titles out there about reluctant sleepyheads. This book is a true original in the best sense. Consider it your own little secret weapon on the war on bedtime. A find.
For ages 4-8.
Our hero’s dad has many fine and outstanding qualities. He is big. He is strong. But he does have one significant flaw that’s hard to overlook. Every night it’s the same old story. When bedtime rolls around he just adamantly refuses to go. The only thing to do is to start out by reading him some stories. After two he’ll demand another but his son is having none of it. It’s straight to bed and a game of waiting until the dad’s asleep (if the son tries to go to bed early he’ll just have to contend with a wide awake dad barging into his room anyway). Finally he seems to be asleep but just as the son attempts to turn out the life he hears, “No, don’t do that! Leave the light on!” Because while his dad may be big and strong he’s also a bit afraid of the dark.
There’s an entire subgenre of picture books out there where expectations are upended to the delight of the child reader. I can think of four books off the top of my head where a character is scared about the first day of school and then turns out to be a teacher (Back to School Tortoise] by Lucy M. George was the latest). And Amy Krouse Rosenthal went to town with the idea in Little Pea (a pea refuses to eat his dinner of candy), Little Hoot (an owl wants to go to bed while his parents insist he stay up all night), and Little Oink (a pig doesn’t want to dirty his room). Saudo’s book isn’t the first I’ve seen about a parent not wanting to go to bed either. Last year Amy Krouse Rosenthal (yet again) came out with Bedtime for Mommy. It was a sweet enough book (and the illustrations by LeUyen Pham were divine) but there’s something about My Dad is Big and Strong that’s better. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it has something to do with the combination of storytelling, visual and verbal.
The art itself is just a delight. Illustrator Kris Di Giacomo likes to draw figures with striking profiles then give them whole heaping handfuls of energy. The boy’s dad does flips and throws himself bodily to the floor when the prospect of beddy-bye looms near. I enjoyed the fact that the dad always wears his hat, even when he’s tucked into bed. And in these images we never have a moment where the roles are reversed, even for a second. The son is clearly the son in this situation and though he is filling the role of makeshift parent, he’s still just a kid. How else to explain the images of his father picking him up, or the family photos on the walls behind them? Finally, from an aesthetic standpoint I couldn’t help but love that the pages of the book itself were thick and sturdy. They make it feel like it’s worthy of holding on to and treasuring.
Is translation an art or a science? A little of both, I think. In this case it was Claudia Zoe Bedrick who took it upon herself to translate the text of Mon Papa, Il est Grand, Il est Fort, MAIS. Now some translations feel wrong and awkward. Their words feel all elbows and angles, like someone tried to physically cram them into the wrong context. Nothing about this book feels like that. The language flows naturally like when the son explains to his father that he needs to get his rest so that he’ll be in good shape the next day “it’s right at that moment that things get complicated…” Bedrick is adept at pulling out just the right phrase at the right moment, but even more impressive is the fact that she manages to convey the right tone with the writing. The book projects this very familiar parental feeling of affection riddled with irritation. It is sweet and it is patient but it is also pretty darn clear that the son would like to go to bed himself and that just ain’t happening. We relate. Kids won't. They'll just find it funny.
Heck, I even liked the typography of this book, which is saying something right there. I do worry that with its brownish cover there’s a possibility that potential readers will pass right by this book without noticing it on the shelf. The trick is to get it into their hands by talking it up. Once you do, the story will reward them with its strange sweetness. Parents are always looking for interesting bedtime fare, and to find one that’s funny to boot is just a nice plus. Don’t be turned off by the fact that at a glance it doesn’t resemble the hundred carbon copy titles out there about reluctant sleepyheads. This book is a true original in the best sense. Consider it your own little secret weapon on the war on bedtime. A find.
For ages 4-8.
September 1, 2012
This is a cute role reversal story and I think that children ages 3 to 8 will appreciate it. Independent readers will also enjoy reading it. It’s a perfect bedtime story, as long as it doesn’t overly excite the kids. The story is a role reversal story of a routine that most kids will find familiar: resisting going to bed. A son cajoles his father to go to bed, as his father plays every trick in the book to avoid doing so.
My edition was not a board book but it’s a hardcover with the thickest pages I’ve ever felt, so it’s safe to let the youngest kids handle the book, as long as they’re relatively gentle with books.
I liked the book. I think many young children (its targeted audience) will love this book.
The story is funny and sweet and true. The illustrations are creatively done. I particularly enjoyed the pictures of the dog.
3 ½ stars
My edition was not a board book but it’s a hardcover with the thickest pages I’ve ever felt, so it’s safe to let the youngest kids handle the book, as long as they’re relatively gentle with books.
I liked the book. I think many young children (its targeted audience) will love this book.
The story is funny and sweet and true. The illustrations are creatively done. I particularly enjoyed the pictures of the dog.
3 ½ stars
January 24, 2021
Kitaptaki çocuğu ve babasını kendi isimlerimizle okuyoruz. Her gün uyumaya direnmeye karşı bu kitabın ironisi harika: “Bir kitap daha, ne olur, bir tane daha”!
April 17, 2012
Translated from the French, this picture book takes the traditional bedtime story and turns it upside down. Every night it’s the same thing, Dad does not want to go to bed. The boy tries to get his father to bed nicely by using logic, but his dad just gets wilder and wilder. The boy refuses to chase after him, instead offering a quiet story together. That always works, and the two of them sit together in a chair: the father on the boy’s small lap. Two stories later, and the boy finally has his father tucked into bed, but the process is not done yet. The boy can’t head to his own bed yet or his father will ask to sleep with him. And though his father may be big and strong, he’s also afraid of the dark.
Read the rest of my review on my blog, Waking Brain Cells.
Read the rest of my review on my blog, Waking Brain Cells.
May 27, 2012
This is a hilarious story about a reversal of roles between parent and child, specifically at bedtime. The story is really fun to read aloud, and would be great for a partner read, with one person reading the dad's dialogue and the other reading the rest of the narrative. The illustrations are an interesting mix of texures, mixed media and pictures and the paper used for the book is unusually thick. Overall, we really enjoyed reading this story together.
March 17, 2020
Harika bir hikaye. 3 yaşındaki oğlum, kitaptaki babanın davranışlarıyla kendininkileri arasında analoji kurup kikir kikir güldükçe kitabı yeniden, yeniden okumak istiyor. “Bir tane daha, lütfen, bir tane daha”
Read
October 27, 2012This book is a simple but clever twist on tradition, as a small boy tries to convince his father to go to bed on time. The role reversals are all simple and predictable, but work nicely in this simple book, translated from French.
From a desire for more bedtime stories to a question of whether it's safe to sleep in the dark, the idea that dads are people too is an important one. There is a current trend to have more fathers in picture books, and this is a good thing.
From a desire for more bedtime stories to a question of whether it's safe to sleep in the dark, the idea that dads are people too is an important one. There is a current trend to have more fathers in picture books, and this is a good thing.
April 27, 2012
Children and adults will both laugh at this role reversal as a boy tries to get his father to go to sleep. With everything from one more story to leaving the light on, children will recognize themselves and their own bedtime curtain calls. An excellent addition to your family’s own bedtime routine.
Reviewed by Reviewer 19.
Reviewed by Reviewer 19.
October 12, 2012
This book was SO much fun to read. It's a bedtime story about a little boy who has to try to get his dad to go to bed! Favorite part was when the dad climbed onto his son's lap for a bedtime story - my little guy thought that was hilarious!
June 2, 2012
I think this one would be entertaining to pair with Interrupting Chicken.
December 17, 2019
بطلنا الصغير في معاناةٍ دائمةٍ مع والده. ففي كل ليلةٍ تتكرر ذات القصة القديمة عندما تحين ساعة ال��وم ويصرخ الأب عاليًا "لا لا لا. لا أريد الذهاب إلى الفراش". وكما يفعل الكبار عادةً مع أطفالهم لإقناعهم بضرورة النوم باكرًا، يلجأ بطلنا الصغير إلى كثيرٍ من تلك الحيل حتى يرضخ والده لطلبه أخيرًا وينام 😴
في قالبٍ مشبّع بالظرف واللطافة، تُعكس الأدوار بين الأب الكبير القوي وابنه الصغير ، فنرى واحدةً من أكثر الأمور اليومية مشقةً على الآباء لكن من منظور أطفالهم، وبطريقة تعزز رابط المحبة والتقدير بينهم.
هذه القصة الطريفة للغاية ستروق للكبار قبل صغارهم، حتمًا بسبب كل تلك الفكاهة المميزة في النص والرسم معًا، لكن لأنها أيضًا ستكشف لهم قدرة لعبة بسيطة كلعبة "تبادل الأدوار" على تحقيق غايات مهمة ونبيلة تتجاوز حدود المتعة والتسلية فقط.
هذه القصة من أظرف ما قرأت، والرسم الشبيه برسوم الأطفال جاء مناسبًا جدًا لغايتها وطبيعتها وقادرًا بنجاح على نقل الحس الفكاهي إلى القارئ.
January 13, 2021
Δεν είναι πρώτη φορά που συναντάμε σε παιδικό βιβλίο το τρικ της αντιστροφή ρόλων, ούτε είναι και το πρώτο βιβλίο για καληνύχτα. Είναι όμως από εκείνα τα βιβλία που ενθουσιάζουν τον αναγνώστη με την απλότητα της πλοκής και του λόγου τους, το απίστευτο χιούμορ τους και τον τρόπο με τον οποίο η/ο συγγραφέας τους αυτοσαρκάζεται. Είναι μια ιστορία με την οποία γονείς και παιδιά θα ταυτιστούν και σίγουρα θα γελάσουν με την ψυχή τους.
Περισσότερα εδώ--> https://kokkinialepou.gr/o-mpampas-mo...
Περισσότερα εδώ--> https://kokkinialepou.gr/o-mpampas-mo...
November 20, 2019
This book has a great twist that you never saw coming instead of it being a little boy who doesn’t want to sleep it is a little boy who is trying to convince his dad to go to bed. This book is a fun read and I think would be very interesting to have an a classroom it shows a relationship that one can have between father and son and her family is important.
October 6, 2018
Realistic Fiction 2012
A twist on a bedtime story because the son is trying to put his dad to bed! Really fun illustrations. I would use this in the classroom as a fun read-aloud that the students could relate back to a family member, doesn’t have to be a dad!
A twist on a bedtime story because the son is trying to put his dad to bed! Really fun illustrations. I would use this in the classroom as a fun read-aloud that the students could relate back to a family member, doesn’t have to be a dad!
June 13, 2019
A role reversal between father and son, has the child playing the part of the parent at bedtime and all the shenanigans that go along with convincing an unruly dad he needs to go to sleep.
A comical story that will have fathers and children giggling as they read it through several times over.
A comical story that will have fathers and children giggling as they read it through several times over.
January 24, 2018
Interesting. A twist on things.
May 23, 2019
Cute book! Loved the simple illustrations and the fresh take on bedtime routines.
July 27, 2019
This book was quite entertaining!
August 21, 2019
Cute, but not much to it.
December 9, 2019
The book tells a story of a young child and his difficulty in putting his father to bed at night. A neat twist of events.
April 28, 2020
ذكية.
June 18, 2020
A hilarious twist on the normal bedtime routine story between dads and their kids.
September 6, 2021
Letto in italiano
*3.5
Sempre succede così... Papà non vuole andare a letto hahaha
*3.5
Sempre succede così... Papà non vuole andare a letto hahaha
September 24, 2021
This book was so confusing. I kept thinking there was going to be a cute little twist at the end, but nope. It was just weird.
Read
July 1, 2023My french is gettin better
February 16, 2024
Fave illustrator. Very cute turn-around story.
October 30, 2024
Cute, charming. A twist of an idea.
June 6, 2025
Eğlenerek okuduğum ve resimlerini zevkle takip ettiğim bir kitap. Uyumak bilmeyen baba aileler için tanıdık bir hikaye ve kitabın konuyu işleyişi çok tatlı :)
December 15, 2017
Dads are big and strong, but sometimes they can be tricky to coax into their cozy beds at bedtime.
This is a fun reversal on the usual bedtime situation. The art is unique (sometimes a little too?) and the text has a nice conversational tone to it. I'm telling you, if my kids could put themselves to bed I would totally want to be tucked in first.
This is a fun reversal on the usual bedtime situation. The art is unique (sometimes a little too?) and the text has a nice conversational tone to it. I'm telling you, if my kids could put themselves to bed I would totally want to be tucked in first.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews