Dad's Camera
Dad's Camera
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Publisher's Hardcover ©2018--
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Candlewick Press
Annotation: A compassionate tribute to the experience of losing a family member to terminal illness depicts a father who starts taking unusual photographs and mixing things up, while his family members convey love that can never be forgotten.
 
Reviews: 3
Catalog Number: #169583
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright Date: 2018
Edition Date: 2018 Release Date: 10/09/18
Illustrator: Minichiello, Liz,
Pages: 1 volume (unpaged)
ISBN: 1-536-20138-3
ISBN 13: 978-1-536-20138-3
Dewey: E
LCCN: 2018959679
Dimensions: 27 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
ALA Booklist (Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

A young boy notices that his father does odd things, like putting food in the cabinet instead of the refrigerator. Later, Dad buys an old-fashioned film camera, takes pictures of ordinary household items, and puts the images up all over his study. The challenge of having an ill parent is delicately handled, and the text purposefully is vague, though a brief author's note explains Watkins' personal experience losing someone to Alzheimer's. Anelli effectively uses the child's perspective, depicting the boy observing his father's increasingly strange behavior, while being accepting and loving toward him. The process of getting film developed, viewing negatives, and making prints is explained for contemporary children who may have no context for nondigital photography, and the multimedia artwork conveys the present with just a hint of nostalgia. Front endpapers display a gallery of family photos, while the back endpapers show the pictures the son takes with Dad's camera, demonstrating the touching way he carries on his father's memory. A bittersweet book about illness, mourning, and grief that movingly emphasizes the importance of remembrance.

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

After Dad comes home with an old-fashioned film camera and begins taking pictures of odd objects, his family understands that his behavior is associated with Alzheimer's disease. While Watkins's text can be cryptic (e.g., "Then we lost Dad," he writes without further explanation), it could start discussion in families witnessing similar decline. Using mono-prints, collage, and other media, Anelli captures the many tender moments in this story of loss.

Kirkus Reviews

A father with Alzheimer's uses a camera to capture memories for his family. When Dad brings home an old camera, he takes pictures of objects only. Rolls of film reveal the minutiae of life: jam jars, measuring tape, the bus stop. Knowing his father's circumstances, the son believes the photos represent what his father wants to remember—yet there are no pictures of himself or his mom. Anger, sadness, and empathy wash over them as they remind themselves of what the doctor said about Dad's behavior. After Dad passes away, the boy and his mom receive a box in the mail with Dad's writing on the label. Inside is his camera, with one photo on the roll: a snapshot of a framed picture of their family. Together, mother and son realize Dad's photos were to help them remember him. Anelli uses monoprints to capture the spontaneity of drawing, mirroring the idea of someone trying to capture an impression of his life. She layers these moments of inspiration with collage, watercolors, and digital coloring. Her free-form lines done with a skillful, controlled hand are at the core of the artwork. Done in a primary palette, the impressionistic illustrations have energy and appeal and are tasteful, raw, and emotional. Mom, Dad, and narrator all have light skin and dark hair.As readers experience uncertainty, Watkins opens the door to discussion, making this an opportunity for dialogue about an illness that touches the lives of so many today. (Picture book. 5-9)

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
ALA Booklist (Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)
Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)
Kirkus Reviews
Reading Level: 2.0
Interest Level: K-3

A moving portrayal of love and loss captures who — and what — we leave behind once we’re gone.

One day Dad comes home with one of those old cameras, the kind that uses film. But he doesn’t take photos of the regular things people photograph. He takes pictures of his keys, his coffee cup, the objects scattered on his desk. He starts doing a lot of things that are hard to understand, like putting items that belong in the fridge in the cupboard and ones that belong in the cupboard in the fridge. In a sensitive, touching tale about losing a family member to a terminal illness, Ross Watkins and Liz Anelli prove that love is the one thing that can never be forgotten.


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