My Dad Thinks He's Funny

by Katrina Germein, Tom Jellett (Illustrator)

Overview

The ideal gift book for anyone whose dad makes them laugh — or roll their eyes.

When his son says “I’m hungry,” Dad says, “Hello, Hungry. Pleased to meet you.” Before slicing a cake for dessert, Dad announces, “There’s my piece. What’s everybody else having?” Tell Dad your foot hurts? "No problem. You’ve got another.” How is he feeling? “With my hands.” So when nothing’s up but the sky, or when jumping in the shower sounds dangerous, it may be a good time to share this book with someone who doesn’t need sugar because, well, they’re sweet enough already.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763665227
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	04/09/2013
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.70(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Katrina Germein is an award-winning picture-book author from Australia. When she’s not writing, she loves swimming in the ocean with her three children.

Tom Jellett is an illustrator whose work has appeared in several books, as well as in The Australian and The Daily Telegraph (Australia). He lives in Australia.

Editorial Reviews

Australian author Germein pokes good-natured fun at the kind of father who always has a corny quip or pun at the ready—much to the chagrin of his son (Jellett provides a four-step diagram of how to perform “the eye roll”). “My dad thinks he’s funny,” says the boy, who shares his spiky ginger hair with his progenitor. “When I tell Dad my foot hurts, he says, ‘No problem. You’ve got another.’ ” And it’s not just on the home front: “When people say, ‘How are you feeling?’ Dad says, ‘With my hands.’ When people say, ‘Would you like sugar?’ Dad says, ‘I’m sweet enough.’ ” Jellett’s mixed-media art includes cut-paper shapes and rough outlines, creating a fresh, extemporaneous style. Readers whose fathers are founts of one-liners will groan with recognition—and dads who don’t have a joke for every occasion will find plenty of ammunition. Ages 5–8. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

This is an amusing tribute to dads who like to yuck it up.
—Kirkus Reviews

Jellett’s mixed-media art ... creat[es] a fresh, extemporaneous style. Readers whose fathers are founts of one-liners will groan with recognition—and dads who don’t have a joke for every occasion will find plenty of ammunition.
—Publishers Weekly

This will be a lively prompt for youngsters to share their own family’s dumb jokes and collect some possibilities for dorky return fire.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

A fun book for kids and parents to share and groan over together.‘
—School Library Journal

A snicker-inducing read-aloud, especially with Mom.
—Booklist Online

The refrain and the funny comebacks develop a loving portrait of the dad/kid relationship.
—Yellow Brick Road

From the Publisher

K-Gr 2—Any child whose father responds to questions or requests with a silly quip will identify with this young narrator. Repeating the refrain "My dad thinks he's funny," the boy gives abundant examples. "When I say, 'Dad, I don't know how,' he says, 'I know How. He's What's brother.'" "And when I tell Dad I think there's something in my eye, he says, 'Yeah, an eyeball.'" And he's not the only one who is the butt of dad's jokes. The boy tells readers, "When people say, 'Would you like sugar?' Dad says, 'I'm sweet enough,'" and when Mom says, "I'm just going to jump in the shower,' Dad says, 'That sounds dangerous.'" Many of the illustrations, rendered in mixed media, include childlike outline drawings and are filled with visual jokes as well. One shows a greatly enlarged dad viewed from below intent on making "a special announcement," and his son racing to leave the room "before it really starts to smell." Another depicts a toilet in the center of a maze accompanying dad's "Don't get lost!" in response to his son's statement, "I'm going to the bathroom." If the jokes get too corny for them, readers can always perfect the eye roll, shown here in four easy steps. A fun book for kids and parents to share and groan over together.—Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT

School Library Journal

Everyone knows that dad who constantly cracks jokes. Some are funny and some not so much. Australian author Germein fashions this title out of a string of jokes, one-liners and wordplay. As with any audience of such antics, the narrator's responses vary from a chuckle, laughing out loud or an eye-roll to utter confusion. Mixed-media illustrations by Jellett appear to utilize collage, adding texture and a do-it-yourself feel. The text has a loose structure. On just about every spread, the book's title serves as a preamble to the series of jests. "My dad thinks he's funny. When people say, ‘How are you feeling?' Dad says, ‘With my hands.' When people say, ‘Would you like sugar?' Dad says, ‘I'm sweet enough.' " One of the more successful quips, sure to cause some giggles, is "when Dad says, ‘Time for a special announcement,' we leave the room fast, before it really starts to smell." Here, the picture's perspective is from below, making the dad look ominous; on the lower right, his son attempts to flee. Overall, this is an amusing tribute to dads who like to yuck it up. Share with readers with enough knowledge and sophistication to get the humor so the results are either guffaws or groans instead of blank stares. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews