cover image MY DAD'S JOB

MY DAD'S JOB

Peter Glassman, , illus. by Timothy Bush. . S&S, $15.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-689-82890-4

In a fantasy similar to Glassman's My Working Mom, a father's talk of work inspires a boy to literal but outlandish interpretations. Hearing his dad report being "put on a great team" and "fighting off a hostile takeover," he envisions riotous games and adventures. The boy's siblings and mother tell him that he's got the wrong impression. Finally the boy accompanies his dad to work—and discovers, in a cleverly designed gatefold spread, that Dad's office is even wilder than his imaginings. The story is something of a one-note joke, even with the surprising punch line. It's Bush's (James in the House of Aunt Prudence) dynamic fantasy scenes—sword-wielding marauders storming the building, actual bulls and bears bucking through the halls—that convey outsize playfulness. His often-busy watercolors, rendered with a spirited line, invite close inspection; kids will enjoy going back to the pictures to find subtle clues. A glossary defines the various business terms. Ages 5-8. (May)