Daddy Calls Me Man

by Angela Johnson, Rhonda Mitchell (Illustrator)

"This story...consists of four short verses about the happy home life of a young African-American boy. Family love and the shared stories and symbols that connect the generations are pervasive themes." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Genres: Family, Picture Books, African American, Poetry, Cultural, Childrens, Love

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1997

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Angela Johnson is the author of the Coretta Scott King Honor picture book When I Am Old with You; as well as A Sweet Smell of Roses, illustrated by Eric Velasquez; Just Like Josh Gibson, illustrated by Beth Peck; and I Dream of Trains, which was also illustrated by Loren Long. She has won three Coretta Scott King Awards, one each for her novels Heaven, Toning the Sweep, and The First Part Last. In recognition of her outstanding talent, Angela was named a 2003 MacArthur Fellow. She lives in Kent, Ohio.

Reviews

[Veronica McFarlin]

It explores the family life of a young boy. He interacts with his mom, dad, big sister, and new baby sister throughout the book. He talks about playing with his siblings and comparing shoes with his dad. It's a very simple book - not too many words, and some of them are just in phrases as opposed to full sentences, or the sentences are spread over more than one page.

I would read this in a family unit and we could talk about what our families look like. They could describe their different roles within the family and how they interact with each member of their family. This would be a good way to get to know children and to have children get to know each other at the beginning of the year.

[Emma Trader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very cute story about a child growing up and becoming a big brother. The abstract artwork within the book is something I haven’t seen much, but I think it is brilliant. In my future classroom, I think this would be a good story to share when a child has a baby sibling on the way.

[Emily Oskierko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Represents different family dynamics in the form of poem and images.

[Johna Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main idea in this story is that everyone has more than one role. The main character is a little brother and a big brother, he is his mommy’s sweetheart, and he is a child, but the fact that his daddy calls him man is something personal and something that cherishes. The main character in the book is the narrator, the little boy (his name is not given). The pictures in this nonfiction story are not real life pictures, but the story and events can be real life.
I would use this text in the classroom by practicing rhythm. This book is a rhyming book, and there are many different rhyming words in the book. Ex: on one page the words are swirl and twirl, and on another page the words are sky and why. As a class, we can go over the different word sounds and the different words used from the word families. The students can interact with this story by telling me something interesting that they do with their father or someone special.
The author, Angela Johnson’s, life relates to this book because she writes about African American families, and she puts it in a poetic style. The words rhyme and the poems have meaning. She makes all of her characters to be realistic and positive. The illustrator, Rhonda Mitchell, has an African American background and her pictures depict the color of the African American skin very well. This is a good book to teach about the African American culture and how their families interact with one another.

[SaraLaLa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh.... This isn't a story (granted, no one said it had to be). This is a poem broken up into phrases and put to illustrations. The poem introduces a family. That's it.

Honestly, I hated this book the first time I read it. Yes, my friends, I read it twice. I wanted to refresh my memory before I ripped this book apart on goodreads. I guess I'm glad I did because I changed my rating from a 1 to a 2 and I no longer have such negative feelings towards it. *sigh* The poem wasn't terrible and the illustrations were nice.

[Zinnada Hodges · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't what I thought. I thought it was going to be a nice story talking about a father and his son's relationship. When I read it to my boys, I was disappointed.

[Kiersten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daddy Calls Me Man is a special book that highlights the bond between a father and his son. The son narrates this book through a sequence of poems that also incorporate rhymes. The characters in the story are all realistic characters that many children can relate themselves to. The language of the text creates less of a barrier for children to understand even read. The rhyming and the vivid illustrations are what help carry this story along. Overall, this story is simply about a young boy narrating his family life through poetry. I chose to read this book because I wanted something that positively represented and portrayed African American family life. The illustrations are strong and impactful because they provide a picture of what our families can and actually DO look like. Johnson channeled what she most likely experienced growing up, or could identify with growing up as a child. Books that celebrate Black families are needed, and I believe Johnson delivered. I believe this is definitely a nice, simple read aloud book for young children, and a great representation of an African American family.

[Maggie McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is a set of four different poems being told by a young African American boy. The boys talks about his desires to have big shoes like his father in the first poem. He wants to have big shoes and be just like his father. The boy also talks about his two siblings, an older and younger sister. He talks about how he plays and cares for them. The boy also talks about the moon. He says his mom calls the moon, Noah's moon as it glows in the sky. He questions why his mother calls it this. He ends the story with talking about how his mom calls him sweetheart, but his father calls him man. This text can be used in my classroom for a variety of lessons. This text introduces a large amount of rhyming to students. By using lines ending in twirl and whirl, students will begin to explore the concept of rhyme and same ending sounds. This text also allows for an exploration of different family dynamics. In this story, there are two parents and three children, but this dynamic may not resemble the entire class. This story shows what one family may look like, but leads to the conversation as to how all families are different.

[Abbie McKinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daddy Call Me Man is more of a short poem than a story. It talks about the life of a young black boy and how he see’s him family from his view. He talks about how he wants to be just like his daddy and wants big shoes just like his. Big shoes he can run, jump, and twirl in. He talks about his sisters, older and younger. How he plays with them and shares with them. He talks about his mama and how she talks about the moon, he lays up at night asking, why? Mama calls him sweetheart and daddy calls him man.
This book has 4 verse rhyming lines on every page. It’s a pretty simple and easy read with detailed illustrations that are fun to see. I would use this book in a family lesson. It can help start a discussion about how we see ourselves fit in our family, between siblings and parents.

[Abbi Sammons · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a sweet and touching book Daddy Calls Me Man is! I adore how well it conveys the unique connection between a father and his son. The narrative centers on a young child who treasures the time he spends with his father, from routine daily activities to deeper discussions. The way the father refers to his son as "man" lends a sense of pride and development, and I love how the book honors their relationship's strength, love, and respect. The story is made much more emotional by the warm and loving artwork. It's a lovely book that got me thinking about the value of family and the influence a devoted father can have. When I read this book in high school my parents were going through a divorce, and it was very inspirational for me to read, but it was also sad because I had to live with my mom and didn't think my dad was going to be able to watch me grow up.

[Brooke Schmittinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This kid wants to grow up and have big shoes, fast shoes, cool shoes like dad. He plays and looks at the moon, wondering why it is known as ‘Noah’s moon’. When his new baby sister arrives, he realizes how much he shares; his mom thinks he is sweet, and his dad calls him a man.

Although I feel like the message of this book is a little unclear, I would like to include it in my classroom. I like how it shows the desire to grow up, but still embracing childhood. Additionally, some of my future students may be able to relate to the new baby in the family! I would like to add stories to my classroom that are mirrors for children, instead of windows. And this book having the main character as a young black boy allows for different types of children to relate!

[Mirallegro, Marissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Daddy Calls Me Man" is a story about an African-American family. It is divided into 4 sections. The first is "Big Shoes" where the little boy wants all different kinds of shoes and wants to line them up with his daddy's. The next is "Spin" where the little boy spins all around with his big sister. The next is "Noah's Moon" which talks about the mother telling the young boy about the moon. The last is "Baby Sister" where the little boy gets a baby sister. I like the African American representation in this story, however I am not sure if I would use it in my future classroom. I do like the rhythm of the text, however the book does not hold a lot of substance that could create discussions in the classroom.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful, warm, colorful, and life-like illustrations are paired with lively verses about a little boy, Noah, and his loving family. My favorites are of Noah and his sisters - the fun he has playing with his older sister, and the positive and caring attitude he has about his baby sister. I love seeing a little boy seeing what is good and amazing about having a little baby in the family - and that's what gives the book this title. Best read when you can spend time talking about the illustrations, particularly the emotions and how the family is spending time together. Great addition to a collection about families.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fun and cute book to read with your child. This book is inspiring and a great read for children. This book is about a young African-American boy who loves to write poems. There is a bunch of short story versus within this story consisting oh a happy home and a happy life. The little boy in the story learns all about his past generations within his family and what it was like for them. The family also has painting on their wall of each parents that the little boy learns from.

Rated this book with 4 stars because I think its a great fun book that little kids can learn from. It is suppose to inspire them to want to learn about their family history.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is about the relationship between a father and a son. The son is the one who narrates the story. However this story is written in rhyme and poem. The characters and images in the story are realistic. It is about the boys happy life at home and the love his family has for him and he has for them. This is a book that has very energetic and fun images and is aimed for younger children.

I enjoyed this book because it was written in a different way than most stories. The book introduces the different techniques for writing. And although it is written for younger kids it would be a good book to use to show different styles and techniques that you can write in.

[Delaney Fischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book is a great way to show diversity in the classroom, I think it is much too simple for a read - aloud. It discusses a young African - American boy who loves his family. He loves playing with his big sister and sharing this with his little sister. I feel that is a topic many of my students could relate to but like I said, it is very simple and had a limited amount of words on each page.

I would use this in my classroom as a way to represent books by African - American female authors. I want not only my books to be diverse but the authors as well. It can help my students gain more knowledge and perspective about diversity and shows what a loving Black family looks like.

[Grace Tomlinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a little boy talking about his life. He mentions random things about his life, but they seem important to him. He talks about his shoes, how his mom calls the moon "Noah's moon," his baby sister, and all the names his parents call him when sharing his toys with his sister.

I would use this book in my future class as a simple read aloud. I would ask my students questions that are relevant to the book. Do your parents have special names for you? Do you have a little sister? What color are your shoes? Are they the same color as the boy's shoes? This book is also full of rhymes, and rhyming is fun for little kids.

[Ava Kruse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a little boy and the different relationships he has with him family. The first part is about his fathers shoes and what it would be like to grow up, the next part is about him playing with his sister while they spin and dance, the next part is about his little sister and how he shares things with her and how his mom calls him "sweetheart", the last part of the book is finishing the book with the title of when his dad class him a man. I think I could use this book in my classroom to show the value of family and the importance of having family, but obviously being careful to not make any children feel left out because never know someones family life.

[Molly Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story because it showed how in life, you will have or currently have, many different roles, and you mean something different to everyone you are surrounded by. In this book, the main character, a little boy is given the role of the moon from his mother, the role of a big brother from his baby sister, the role of a little brother from his older sister, and lastly, the role of a man from his father. I would use this book in my future classroom to show my students that they all mean something and matter so much to everybody in their lives.

[Emily White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of repetition in it, as it is showing all of the responsibilities this young boy has. It walks the reader through this young boy's life and how it changes when his little sister comes into the world. The illustrations in this book are vibrant and that can easily engage the readers. The book demonstrates a healthy family dynamic with supportive parents and a good sibling relationship. This book could be introduced to a young child who is going to be a big sibling soon to help them navigate their feelings.

[Marissa Charleston]

This book uses poem-style writing to tell the story of a boy as he gains the new role in his family of older brother. He is a younger brother and now an older brother. His parents try to help him through the feeling of having a new, younger sibling, his mother calls him her sweetheart and his dad calls him man. This book would be good to read with kids who have just gained a new sibling and are navigating not being the youngest or how it may feel to have another sibling and could be incorporated when learning about families and family dynamics.

[Priscila Castaneda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about a boy named Noah who has a dad that calls him man. While we see the mom call him sweetheart, we focus on the relationship with Noah and his dad. There are many things that Noah does such as putting his shoes next to his dads or wanting different shoes, that shows how he wants to be like him. I would use this book in my classroom for any child who has a connection with their father. It is important because many kids don’t have relationships with biological parents and those who do will speak about it.

[Ryann Norris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction- poetry
Grade:K-3
I love how this book covers the many roles that a child might take on in life. I feel that this book could be relatable for a child. I love the illustrations and the poems. This book would be a lovely introduction to poetry while also covering the different family roles that each person may have. Such as being a big brother of a son etc. I overall think this book could be an entertaining and cute introduction into poetry while also being relatable to the students.

[Erin O'Halloran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book to read to the younger students of early childhood education. This book is short and does not have a lot of vocabulary, the terms mentioned are simpler. This book is about a son who looks up to his father and the son also talks about the rest of his family members. One way I can use this book in my future classroom is interacting with the children as I read it. For example the first page says "shoes" so I would have children point to their shoes. This book also mentions a variety of different motions so after I say that motion I would have children do that motion.

[Ellie Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daddy Calls Me Man is a sweet book about a young black boy who wants to be just like his dad. This book follows the story of this young girl boy and his family, his older sister, younger sister, mother, and father. This story shows the realities of the life they live together.

This book could be a great way to talk about family life. Every family is different and each child may or may not have something from this book that they can relate to. When we speak about windows and mirrors, this could be a great way for black children to see themselves in a book and a way for other children to see a different type of family.

[Maggie Cabral · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows the perspective of a young black child's life and the world around him. The child shows his shoes, his family, and the bright moon in the sky. I think this book is a very sweet and simple way to show young black children especially the significance of representation in books. This can help them see themselves and their lives in books to help them feel connected to their self-image. I would definitely keep this book in my class to show the joy of a child sharing his life with the reader.

[Ali Manspeaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows a young boy in his thoughts. He thinks about what he wants, what he does, and what is happening in his life. It has very short sentences throughout the book. I would not read this aloud to my students because it would sound quite choppy, and I just do not think it is read aloud material. I would include it in my classroom library, however, because I think it would be a good book for beginner readers. Even with the smaller sentences there is still punctuation throughout so that would also be good for the students.

[Natalie Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story for me is just okay. It's about an African-American boy who wants to grow up and be just like his daddy and goes on to talk about his big sister, looking at the moon, and seeing his new baby sister. What's different about this story that I haven't seen yet is that it is in poem format. It's interesting, but I'm not the biggest fan of this style. The artwork and attention to detail in the characters are gorgeous. This could be a good book for preschool and younger, as it involves movement cues for young children to learn movements, but I wouldn't use it any older.

[Claire Dannaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and gave it 3 out of 5 stars, simply because it was short and sweet, but it didn’t totally stick with me. Daddy Calls Me Man shows everyday moments from a little boy’s life, drawing, playing, and noticing his family. The writing feels poetic, but not in a super obvious way, and I really enjoyed the illustration. I’d probably use it during a unit on family or emotions. It’s simple enough for preschoolers but still has depth and could be a good starter for kids to write or draw about their own families.

[Izzy Harder]

This book went through different stages of relationships that family members have with each other. Between a mother and son, father and son, and sibling relationships, it talks about how each relationship has a different meaning to the people and how relationships are viewed differently between the different people. I would use this in my classroom when talking about families and making connections to the different relationships that are held within a family.