The Best Day Ever!
“It felt like Father’s Day,” according to our guest reviewer, Rob Wheat.
Our four year-old Violet had long awaited the return of spring and couldn’t wait to visit a local touristy-type farm near our Kansas City home.
We caught fish, fed a baby goat, rode a pony, had a picnic and enjoyed being together as a family in the warm sun.
Those types of experiences made up the book It’s the Best Day Ever, Dad! written by movie and television actress Brooke Shields (yes, that Brooke Shields) and is both cleverly and pointedly illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld.
The book captures a perfect day in the life of a father, who has two small daughters, the youngest coincidentally named Violet. During the day, the three decide to let mommy catch up on precious sleep as they conspire to make it the best day ever.
Daddy is gently awoken by “The Alarm Clock Girls” who help him shave, they all enjoy animal-shaped pancakes, play at the dog park, enjoy ice cream, learn responsibility, watch sports, draw with chalk in the park, have a tea party, help with dinner, watch the stars and collectively fall into a contented sleep…
While engaging in all those activities during a single day might be ambitious for even the most well-intended father, the book skillfully provides subtle suggestions for both rookie and veteran dads on outings with their young girls while also relaying important parental lessons.
Each of the outings or activities are simple, and yet memorable as examples of how fathers and daughters (and mothers and sons) can plan out activities that will have an important and lasting impact on one’s children.
The girls in the book are young, but both are old enough to remember those perfect days with dad that ultimately provide an important foundation for self- esteem and how they will both view themselves and others in current and future relationships.
The impact parents have on their small children cannot be underestimated. And the book also provides simple, but almost inspiring suggestions on ways that dads can bond with their daughters.
These bonds eventually transcend time and distance, and the book leaves the reader with the emphasis that the daddy and the girls can have another “best day ever” tomorrow…
The illustrations masterfully capture both the delight and determination that young girls feel during a day with their fathers, and may be best embodied by the illustration where older sister Frankie helps pass on instructing her sister on taking care of the family dog – hers is a face of sheepish respect as she looks up at her father and takes in the responsibility, while Violet’s face is a mask of discipline and determination as it becomes her turn to learn how to feed and instruct the dog.
Instilling structure and responsibility within children also can’t be underestimated, and the book’s theme is illustrated by the 12-word quote on the back of the hardcover: “Every day can be Father’s Day when you spend it with Dad.”