For the Father in Your Life

Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown (Chronicle). A must-have for Father’s Day, the Dark Lord is envisioned actually having to parent the adorable little Luke. Does Vader have the ultimate power in the universe? Apparently, that is not enough to raise a 4-year-old… Brown’s comic book drawings capture these iconic characters doing everyday things like making breakfast, playing checkers and fighting with, of course, a twin sister!

Grill-It! (Sluice) When summer comes, dads start grilling! Download this app for both Apple and Android products before you fire up the grill. With free recipes and marinades, a simple user interface and great photos, this app will be well-used by summer’s end.  

Faster! Faster! by Leslie Patricelli (Candlewick). Patricelli’s trademark bright colors and wide smiling faces return in this ode to a special father-daughter bond. As a young girl takes her father’s necktie in her hands like reins, she climbs aboard her most beloved ride and yells, “Faster! Faster!” Daddy changes into a dog, then a rabbit, followed by a host of other animals, all wearing his purple tie. Finally, he collapses with exhaustion as a sea turtle, and they share a tender moment. (3 – 7)

GeekDad.com You’ll find this blog at www.Wired.com/GeekDad/.  As we raise Geek Generation 2.0, this site will provide all kinds of great ideas to impress little minds. Legos, homemade batteries, first-time gardens, comic strips and all the new electronic toys come streaming to you straight from Wired Magazine with the new dad in mind! Although not completely intuitive, there are plenty of articles that will catch your attention, with a full staff of editors and a large community of contributors.

Tyrannosaurus Dad by Liz Rosenberg, illus. by Matthew Myers (Roaring Brook). A human boy named Tobias has a Tyrannosaurus for a dad.  Field Day is coming, and Tobias, more than anything, wants his father to play in the baseball game. But Dad is always working. Will he show up on the big day? Rich and expressive illustrations make this title a true winner.  (4 – 8)

50 Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do) by Gever Tulley and Julie Spiegler (Penguin). In 2007, Tulley spoke at a www.TED.com conference on the “5 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Children Do,” which was an excerpt of this book. The video has been seen by millions and touched on something very primal in parenting. Tulley believes that child safety regulations and overzealous parenting have ballooned to the point that children are unprepared to handle the sharp corners of life. Do you agree? Do you let your children play with fire? Then you’ll like this book. 

Julie Hubble lets her children play with fire in Leawood.