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Things to Do with Dad
Can a young boy figure out how to turn an obstacle into an opportunity in this nearly wordless picture book?
A morning of fun with Dad takes a turn for the boring when a long to-do list interferes. At first content to let Dad cross things off his list, the boy in the story soon realizes that the whole day will be spent on chores unless he can come up with a solution. In his singularly expressive, kid-friendly style, author-illustrator Sam Zuppardi crafts a colorful celebration of the fun that can be had with just a little imagination and a trusty green crayon.
A morning of fun with Dad takes a turn for the boring when a long to-do list interferes. At first content to let Dad cross things off his list, the boy in the story soon realizes that the whole day will be spent on chores unless he can come up with a solution. In his singularly expressive, kid-friendly style, author-illustrator Sam Zuppardi crafts a colorful celebration of the fun that can be had with just a little imagination and a trusty green crayon.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
About the author
Sam Zuppardi
16 books17 followersSam Zuppardi says he used to draw cartoons at school when he was supposed to be doing work. Among other things, he has worked in a book warehouse, a bookstore, and a toy store, and is currently working with children. The Nowhere Box is his first picture book. He lives in England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
May 23, 2017
What a lovely book, and perfect for fathers’ day which is coming up next month.
The book has more beautifully illustrations than words, but as the saying goes ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’, this book certainly is. The illustrations are bold, bright and have a hand-drawn, crayon look to them.
A little boy dreams about spending the day with his dad, and all the fun things they will get up to. In reality, they have been a list left for them, telling them to, Wash the Dishes, Build the Bookcase, Hoover the Carpets, Make the Beds. You get the idea. This made both the little boy, and his dad look sad, but these things need to be done.
The little boy has an idea, he writes his own list of things to do, fun things. They will still be doing the same things as on the first list, but they will be done with added fun.
I love the concept of this book, especially as it is the little boys idea to come up with some ways to bring fun to the chores.
It is cleverly crafted, and such a wonderful book, perfect for young children.
Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
The book has more beautifully illustrations than words, but as the saying goes ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’, this book certainly is. The illustrations are bold, bright and have a hand-drawn, crayon look to them.
A little boy dreams about spending the day with his dad, and all the fun things they will get up to. In reality, they have been a list left for them, telling them to, Wash the Dishes, Build the Bookcase, Hoover the Carpets, Make the Beds. You get the idea. This made both the little boy, and his dad look sad, but these things need to be done.
The little boy has an idea, he writes his own list of things to do, fun things. They will still be doing the same things as on the first list, but they will be done with added fun.
I love the concept of this book, especially as it is the little boys idea to come up with some ways to bring fun to the chores.
It is cleverly crafted, and such a wonderful book, perfect for young children.
Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
March 29, 2017
Nearly wordless but bursting with imagination and warmth between father and child. The playful energy of the illustrations is particularly inviting.
July 1, 2018
No doubt more child-appropriate than "101 Uses for a Dead Cat".
It's kind of maudlin. A little boy and his dad start out the day making pancakes and it's awesome, and then the dad looks at a to-do list on the on the refrigerator. The dad washes the dishes while the little boy plays with bubbles, and then the dad tries to build a bookcase while the little boy is playing with blocks. He tries to vacuum the carpet, but the little boy wants to play with a dragon and a sword that he's made out of cardboard and is really disappointed because his dad is busy. He takes a green crayon and modifies the list, changing the title of the list to "Things to do with dad." "Making the beds" becomes sailing a pirate ship. "Hanging up the laundry" becomes joining the circus. "Watering the garden" becomes exploring the jungle.
They seem to possibly be getting the things done at the same time. It's unclear exactly what's going on because the art style makes very little distinction between fantasy and reality. Like they're making the beds, and the little boy tosses a pirate hat to his dad, and it becomes "sail a pirate ship" but they've still got the sheet from the bed as if they're putting it on the bed, but at the same time there's like a pirate ship in the distance and they're dressed like pirates... Are they making the beds or not? I'm not sure. Instead of hanging out the laundry, they're joining the circus, so the little boy's hanging from the clothesline (which is probably a bad idea) and there's like lions and tigers and clowns tightrope walking on top of it. Instead of watering the garden, they're swinging from the hose like it's a vine.
At the end of the day, they're kind of exhausted looking and the dad's leaning against a tree and the little boy's hugging him. Is it saying, "Don't do your chores, play with your kid instead," or, "Turn your chores into a way of playing with your kids?" It's hard to understand exactly what's going on because of the illustration style. Did they successfully make the bed, or were they just playing with the sheets? I can't tell. Did he finish watering the garden before they had to go explore the jungle? I'm not sure. I guess so.
It's not bad, it's just hard to understand what's going on in this story. I'm kind of lost. I think it's important to make time to play with your kids, especially if they want to play with you, and I don't have anything against that, but it's almost shaming the father for having things to get done. Unfortunately in life, we have things to get done. It's cool that it's a dad, and that he's doing housework like washing the dishes and vacuuming and stuff like that. Hanging out the laundry and washing the dishes are more stereotypically associated with females, so good on this book for defying convention with that, and not even drawing attention to it. It's just very matter-of-fact. On the other hand, there are no females in the book, there's only the father and the son. I don't know if there's a mother and she's absent. It doesn't go into that. So some good, some confusing. It's not great, but not terrible, so it kind of ends up landing in the middle. My brain doesn't know how to interpret this book, so I suppose you can make of it what you will. But I prefer my children's books to be a little less up to interpretation, because unfortunately my brain has a tendency to go in directions that are probably not intended.
Message: Stop slacking and play with your kids more.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
It's kind of maudlin. A little boy and his dad start out the day making pancakes and it's awesome, and then the dad looks at a to-do list on the on the refrigerator. The dad washes the dishes while the little boy plays with bubbles, and then the dad tries to build a bookcase while the little boy is playing with blocks. He tries to vacuum the carpet, but the little boy wants to play with a dragon and a sword that he's made out of cardboard and is really disappointed because his dad is busy. He takes a green crayon and modifies the list, changing the title of the list to "Things to do with dad." "Making the beds" becomes sailing a pirate ship. "Hanging up the laundry" becomes joining the circus. "Watering the garden" becomes exploring the jungle.
They seem to possibly be getting the things done at the same time. It's unclear exactly what's going on because the art style makes very little distinction between fantasy and reality. Like they're making the beds, and the little boy tosses a pirate hat to his dad, and it becomes "sail a pirate ship" but they've still got the sheet from the bed as if they're putting it on the bed, but at the same time there's like a pirate ship in the distance and they're dressed like pirates... Are they making the beds or not? I'm not sure. Instead of hanging out the laundry, they're joining the circus, so the little boy's hanging from the clothesline (which is probably a bad idea) and there's like lions and tigers and clowns tightrope walking on top of it. Instead of watering the garden, they're swinging from the hose like it's a vine.
At the end of the day, they're kind of exhausted looking and the dad's leaning against a tree and the little boy's hugging him. Is it saying, "Don't do your chores, play with your kid instead," or, "Turn your chores into a way of playing with your kids?" It's hard to understand exactly what's going on because of the illustration style. Did they successfully make the bed, or were they just playing with the sheets? I can't tell. Did he finish watering the garden before they had to go explore the jungle? I'm not sure. I guess so.
It's not bad, it's just hard to understand what's going on in this story. I'm kind of lost. I think it's important to make time to play with your kids, especially if they want to play with you, and I don't have anything against that, but it's almost shaming the father for having things to get done. Unfortunately in life, we have things to get done. It's cool that it's a dad, and that he's doing housework like washing the dishes and vacuuming and stuff like that. Hanging out the laundry and washing the dishes are more stereotypically associated with females, so good on this book for defying convention with that, and not even drawing attention to it. It's just very matter-of-fact. On the other hand, there are no females in the book, there's only the father and the son. I don't know if there's a mother and she's absent. It doesn't go into that. So some good, some confusing. It's not great, but not terrible, so it kind of ends up landing in the middle. My brain doesn't know how to interpret this book, so I suppose you can make of it what you will. But I prefer my children's books to be a little less up to interpretation, because unfortunately my brain has a tendency to go in directions that are probably not intended.
Message: Stop slacking and play with your kids more.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
April 17, 2018
This is a very fun and rather simple picture book. This picture book is surprising as there are hardly any words at all and yet the story is told so well. The book starts with a boy and his father having fun making pancakes for breakfast. But then Dad looks over at the list of things to do, such as wash the dishes , hoover the carpets, etc. The dad sets off on completing his to-do list and with every double page you see him washing the dishes, for example, while his son plays separately from him, but in the same room. The boy tries desperately to get his dad's attention but his dad, even though smiling at his son, keeps on doing his chores.
It's hard not to give away the rest of the book but it is such a simple idea it's impossible not to. The boy decides to resolve the problem by re-writing his dads chore list and calling it 'Things to do with Dad'. After that the chores are still done but at the same time the dad and son can play and have fun such as exploring the jungle, instead of watering the plants.
This book is very fun and a perfect gift to give for Father's Day. The book has thick and glossy pages with some great illustrations that are very simple, looking like kids drawings, and yet hold some fun details too. I really like this book, it's really a feel good story, so simple and yet the dad and son having fun while still doing the chores can remind both kids and their parents how much fun it can be to do the small things if you make them into an adventure. The fact this book has no words other than the chores listed makes this extra special too as it shows just how powerful some simple images can be. I'd definitely recommend this book whether for Father's Day or just any day of the year. It doesn't have to be exclusively for kids with dads either!
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.
It's hard not to give away the rest of the book but it is such a simple idea it's impossible not to. The boy decides to resolve the problem by re-writing his dads chore list and calling it 'Things to do with Dad'. After that the chores are still done but at the same time the dad and son can play and have fun such as exploring the jungle, instead of watering the plants.
This book is very fun and a perfect gift to give for Father's Day. The book has thick and glossy pages with some great illustrations that are very simple, looking like kids drawings, and yet hold some fun details too. I really like this book, it's really a feel good story, so simple and yet the dad and son having fun while still doing the chores can remind both kids and their parents how much fun it can be to do the small things if you make them into an adventure. The fact this book has no words other than the chores listed makes this extra special too as it shows just how powerful some simple images can be. I'd definitely recommend this book whether for Father's Day or just any day of the year. It doesn't have to be exclusively for kids with dads either!
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.
June 30, 2017
Zuppardi, Sam Things To Do with Dad. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick Press, 2017. $16.99.
A young boy is excited to spend a day with his dad, but there is a long To-Do list his dad needs to get done. The boy tries to be with his dad while Dad builds a bookcase and vacuums, but it is boring and not the time he wants. So with his trusty green crayon he changes the "Things to Do" list to a "Things to Do With Dad" list. Instead of making beds, they sail a pirate ship--letting the sheets become sails and imaginations soar; instead of hanging out the laundry, they join the circus--with the laundry line becoming the tight rope. More imaginative adventures await as this creative boy finds a way to have fun--and get things done!--with his dad.
This picture book is heavy on pictures and very, very light on text. The illustrations remind me of David Shannon's work--lots of pencil lines and colors that don't always stay in the lines--and will be appealing to young readers. The celebration of time spent between fathers and sons is nice--especially doing housework!--and this is a good pick for Father's Day.
EL (K-3)--ADVISABLE. Reviewer: TC
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
A young boy is excited to spend a day with his dad, but there is a long To-Do list his dad needs to get done. The boy tries to be with his dad while Dad builds a bookcase and vacuums, but it is boring and not the time he wants. So with his trusty green crayon he changes the "Things to Do" list to a "Things to Do With Dad" list. Instead of making beds, they sail a pirate ship--letting the sheets become sails and imaginations soar; instead of hanging out the laundry, they join the circus--with the laundry line becoming the tight rope. More imaginative adventures await as this creative boy finds a way to have fun--and get things done!--with his dad.
This picture book is heavy on pictures and very, very light on text. The illustrations remind me of David Shannon's work--lots of pencil lines and colors that don't always stay in the lines--and will be appealing to young readers. The celebration of time spent between fathers and sons is nice--especially doing housework!--and this is a good pick for Father's Day.
EL (K-3)--ADVISABLE. Reviewer: TC
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...
February 2, 2020
The book starts out with the boy and his father making and eating dinner together. Then, they see a to-do list on the fridge. The boy is very upset because now his time with his dad has been delayed. His dad then starts doing the chores until the boy changes the things to do list to things to do with dad list. Then then turn all the seemingly boring chores like making the beds, hanging out the laundry, and watering the garden into sailing a pirate ship, joining the circus and exploring the jungle.
I was kind of confused about this book initially. There aren't many words and I didn't pay close enough attention to the illustrations. Although, I went back and read it again slower and started to grasp the author's meaning. Then, I saw the authors blurb on the inside front cover and finally understood the truth. I could use this in the classroom if we are talking about family, imagination, or creativity, or a positive mindset. I believe this book touches on all of those things. I think the kids would really enjoy the illustrations. It also may make them excited to do things that they normally wouldn't be excited about doing.
I was kind of confused about this book initially. There aren't many words and I didn't pay close enough attention to the illustrations. Although, I went back and read it again slower and started to grasp the author's meaning. Then, I saw the authors blurb on the inside front cover and finally understood the truth. I could use this in the classroom if we are talking about family, imagination, or creativity, or a positive mindset. I believe this book touches on all of those things. I think the kids would really enjoy the illustrations. It also may make them excited to do things that they normally wouldn't be excited about doing.
June 16, 2018
Things to Do with Dad is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Sam Zuppardi, which tells about a father and son spending time together, but the son has to content with a long to-do list that his father has to do.
The text is virtually non-existent, except for the to-do list that the father has to do, there are no other words – the story is entirely told in illustrations. The illustrations are wonderfully depicted, a tad too cartoonish for my taste, but it conveys the story rather well.
The premise of the book is rather simple yet incredibly touching. Father and son started the day awesomely with an awesome breakfast, but their awesome day together had to end, because his father has a long to-do list to accomplish. The son is saddened that while his father is doing chores, he was playing. Until he got an idea – make father's chores into awesome adventures.
All in all, Things to Do with Dad is a wonderful children's book about a father-son relationship and how to turn boring chores into exciting adventures.
The text is virtually non-existent, except for the to-do list that the father has to do, there are no other words – the story is entirely told in illustrations. The illustrations are wonderfully depicted, a tad too cartoonish for my taste, but it conveys the story rather well.
The premise of the book is rather simple yet incredibly touching. Father and son started the day awesomely with an awesome breakfast, but their awesome day together had to end, because his father has a long to-do list to accomplish. The son is saddened that while his father is doing chores, he was playing. Until he got an idea – make father's chores into awesome adventures.
All in all, Things to Do with Dad is a wonderful children's book about a father-son relationship and how to turn boring chores into exciting adventures.
September 12, 2019
This is a wordless picture book that explores a little boy's relationship with his father. At the beginning, we see the two enjoying their time playing together, but dad realizes he has a list of chores to complete. The little boy tries his best to have fun with his dad while he does his chores, but it begins to be too difficult. So the little boy takes a green crayon and changes the Things To Do list into a Things To Do with Dad list. They sail a pirate ship while making the bed and join the circus while hanging the laundry to dry.
This would be the perfect book to show students before Father's Day. We would all look at the illustrations together and then I would ask them to name a few things they would do with their Dad. Afterwards, we could have an activity where we make a Things to Do with Dad list to send home for Father's Day!
I highly recommend this beautifully illustrated picture book!
This would be the perfect book to show students before Father's Day. We would all look at the illustrations together and then I would ask them to name a few things they would do with their Dad. Afterwards, we could have an activity where we make a Things to Do with Dad list to send home for Father's Day!
I highly recommend this beautifully illustrated picture book!
May 10, 2017
Dad’s Saturday To-Do list quickly turns from boring chores into adventures shared between father and son. In an almost wordless format (the only words on on dad’s to-do list) Zuppardi uses acrylic paint and pencil to create bright illustrations to convey the story. Young children will be able to look at the pictures to determine the tasks which must be completed from the list. A list of “more things to do with dad” are listed at the end of the book. A fun activity to extend the book would be to create a to-do list of chores around the house and then create your own adventures in order to get the chores completed quickly.
January 24, 2019
I really liked this book even though there were not a lot of words, the illustrations told the story very well. This book was about a father and son who spent the day together doing a bunch of different chores around the house. The son did not want to spend the day doing boring chores so he came up with a plan to make the day more enjoyable. He wanted to spend time with his dad and not let the lengthy t0-do list get in the way of his playtime with his father. This list consisted of washing the dishes, building a bookcase, vacuuming the carpets, making the beds, hanging out the laundry, and watering the garden. The son reimagines the chores and made an adventurous day out of all of them. Being a Child Life major I have learned that the most important thing for a child's development is play. Allowing children to explore, be creative, express themselves, and simply just use their imagination is so important. As a child development major I think that it would be good to have this book a hospital or classroom but I probably would never use it for a lesson. This is because it is more of a developmental book and the way kids are going to learn to explore, be creative, and express themselves is going to be through hands on activities.
April 26, 2019
There are many things I like about this book. The most predominant thing is that I like spending time with DAD is the main focus. There are so many books about a mother's love or doing things with Mom. This is not a bad thing by any means. I just like seeing things from a different perspective.
It's mostly a wordless picture book of a father, a son, and a honey-do list. However, when they go away from the list and instead use it as a launching pad for adventures....amazing things happen. I love seeing the imagination displayed in this book.
"Things to Do With Dad" is not a favorite. But it is cute and worth a read once.
It's mostly a wordless picture book of a father, a son, and a honey-do list. However, when they go away from the list and instead use it as a launching pad for adventures....amazing things happen. I love seeing the imagination displayed in this book.
"Things to Do With Dad" is not a favorite. But it is cute and worth a read once.
May 22, 2017
This is an adorable wordless books about making the best of a boring day. A little boy is home with dad, but dad has a long to-do list of chores to complete. Although the little boy plays while dad cleans and builds, something still feels like its missing. Taking the list into his own hands, the little boy converts the chores into games for him and dad to complete together.
This is such a wonderful book. The illustrations are colorful and vibrant and the emotions are so clear on their faces.
This is such a wonderful book. The illustrations are colorful and vibrant and the emotions are so clear on their faces.
August 19, 2017
This book has a lot of pages with illustrations and some words follow and lists of things to do with a dad. Good start to generating ideas for the listener to think of and add to the list. Shared activities between the father and son make this a soothing story if only all dads were like this and had the time this Dad has. Colorful and imaginative adventures.
December 23, 2017
It seems Dad has a "honey do" list and his young son gets into the groove by helping Dad make the chores more exciting. Make the beds becomes sail a pirate ship. Hang the laundry becomes join the circus. See what fun they have as they finish their list in the book "Things To Do With Dad" by Sam Zuppardi.
May 18, 2017
While it does have words... it's basically a wordless picture book. Which is fine! But good to be aware of because then it requires some discussion to make sure the reader(s) really sees everything that's going on.
February 5, 2018
Summary: Dad has a to-do list, but his sons wants to play with him.
Why Did I Read This: It was probably on a best of list somewhere.
Review: It was cute. I think that this book would be fun for dads to read with children. I think that it would be a good lesson for their both.
Why Did I Read This: It was probably on a best of list somewhere.
Review: It was cute. I think that this book would be fun for dads to read with children. I think that it would be a good lesson for their both.
March 5, 2018
Though there are never any words spoken by father and son, the sketchy illustrations show that they both can get chores/fun things done and also spend quality time together. I think it'd be great for a father and son to read this book together.
January 10, 2022
Very cute childlike illustrations. This is a sweet book that would be a great jumping off point for talking about how changing your perspective and adding fun to unwelcome tasks can make them easier to get done. It's the "Spoonful of Sugar" of books.
March 10, 2018
charming
May 21, 2017
Cute. Charming. Almost wordless.
June 6, 2017
Lovely book about a boy who wants to spend time with his father, but since Dad has a 'to-do' list, they'll have to get creative!
June 21, 2017
Really sweet.
July 6, 2017
Very cute story and illustrations. Besides the text on the list, there are no words. Great for a one-on-one reading.
July 8, 2017
Using bright illustrations and very few words, a young boy uses his imagination to have fun while he helps his father do a variety of chores.
August 10, 2017
mostly wordless
August 16, 2017
Not creative, no great story line, overall disappointing.
August 23, 2017
Sweet. Could make a nice Father's Day gift.
August 29, 2017
A sweet, almost wordless book about a very fun dad.
September 16, 2017
megan summer reading 2017, children's book, picture book, wordless picture book, parents, love, dads, chores, imagination, first grade, second grade, kindergarten, prek,
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2017
This nearly wordless story is packed with incredible adventure and warmth. A perfect storybook for a dad storytime or gift book. This would be a great chores storytime book also.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews