Mi Papa

Children's Literature

This book from Auld's "Conoce la Familia" series introduces young readers to the meaning of having a father. Through posed and candid photographs of different families, readers learn that their fathers may be adoptive, biological, or stepfathers. If these textual explanations of family relations do not suffice, Auld includes a genealogical tree at the end of the book so that readers may visually learn the links between different family members. Unfortunately, the tree does not include a model of a blended family, so children in such families may have a difficult time drawing their own trees when prompted by the book. Besides defining relationships, Auld's book shows that fathers care about their children. In this way, the book is an example of good family relations. Unfortunately, the poorly designed series resembles textbooks. They consist entirely of definition and lack plot or characters. This fact could be forgiven if the content were compelling, but the material in six books could just as easily be conveyed by teachers or parents using a book featuring an extended family. Auld's books are dull, and only engage when they directly ask the reader what his family is like. 2004 (orig. 2003), Gareth Stevens Publishing, Ages 3 to 8.
—Veronica Betancourt