Introduction
Family plays an essential role in the life of every person. It guarantees that every individual will be safe, protected, and have all resources necessary for his/her development. For this reason, mother and father are fundamental figures forming a character of a person and his/her future successes. That is why many children’s books are devoted to these characters, their love for children, and relations within families. For instance, My dad used to be so cool by Keith Negley and The night before Father’s Day by Natasha Wing are two works speaking about fathers, the roles they play in children’s lives, and the way they changed because of their new responsibilities.
Fathers’ Role Depicted in Literature
The first work by Negley is a children’s book speaking about a father and a new life. It starts with the question, “Did your dad used to be cool? Wondering what happened?” (Negley, 2016, p. 3). These can be viewed as the central idea of the whole work. The author shows that new responsibilities critically influence a man’s life. He is no longer the cool guy who used to play in a band, ride a motorcycle and spend time with his friends (Negley, 2016). These times have passed as he is not a person who can live without any concerns. At the moment, he is a father, so he has to care about the family and the child. Negley (2016) emphasizes the significance of this victim and says that it is an essential factor affecting the young son’s feelings. A child is sure that his father is the coolest guy in the world as he spends most of his time with the family and cares about him.
The book by Natasha Wing represents another aspect of being a father and relations within a family. It describes how all family members prepare for Father’s Day and want to make their father happy. Using a simple plot and words supported by images, the author emphasizes the importance of sound relations within a household. Children want to give a pleasant surprise to their father, which indicates their love and warm feelings (Wing, 2012). The author presents the situation from the point of view of a child who says that “Mom, me, and Mike” want to decorate the garage to make a man feel happier (Wing, 2012, p. 3). It introduces another aspect of fatherhood: always being supported by family and having a place to feel needed.
In such a way, both discussed books revolve around the idea of fatherhood. The first one shows that it always comes with new responsibilities and the necessity to reconsider the whole life. Past habits might not apply to the current role. However, a person can still be the coolest person in the world for his children, which is the best reward. The second book shows the importance of family support and that fathers also require help in some cases. It is another vital idea linked to the topic.
Conclusion
In general, children’s books devote more attention to fatherhood and the role of a father in the family. The selected works prove this idea and offer different views on this phenomenon represented by kids. First of all, a good father is always the best man for a child, even if he leaves his “cool” habits in the past. Second, the family should be united and support each other, including the fathers, as they might feel sad and pleasant surprises will help to reduce their stress levels.
References
Negley, K. (2016). My dad used to be so cool. Flying Eye Books.
Wing, N. (2012). The night before Father’s Day. Grosset & Dunlap.