Knock Knock

Knock Knock

Specifics

APA Citation: Beaty, D., & Collier, B. (2013). Knock knock: my dad's dream for me. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Diverse Protagonist, written in the last 4 years

Lexile Level: AD780L

Audience: This book would be a great book for a read aloud for a grade school and even middle school classroom. 

Summary

This story is about a boy who loves his father and they have a special connection together, as many boys and their fathers do. However, one morning his father isn't there to play their special knock knock game. He is gone for several months before the son hears anything from him. Finally, he receives a letter full of advice from his father, saying although he cannot be there for his son, he knows he still is there in his heart. 

Evaluation

The book took a turn I was not expecting when I picked it up. However, I think this book is great for a read aloud to address situations where a parent leaves and cannot come back. This could be due to being incarcerated (as the author's father was, which inspired this story), divorce or even death. I think this is a story that children can really connect to after having gone through a separation from a loved one like this. 

The illustrations were beautifully made out of watercolor. The boy starts off happy and full of light as he and his father play their game. However, after the dad leaves, the art gets a bit darker. The sky is not as blue, "which symbolizes the boy's loss" according to the illustrator. When he gets older, we see him get a bit happier, but the father figure is still in some of the illustrations, as the boy is still longing for his dad.

Mini Lesson

For this book, I would have the children simply write about a family member. They can get as personal as they choose. This could mean a discussion of their favorite pet, or they could dig deeper and talk about their parents, grandparents, or siblings. They should also talk about what they have learned from this specific family member. They can read them out loud if they choose, but I would not force them to do it, as this can be a very personal experience.