Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

My daddy has warm hands. His fingers taste like applesauce. I wish he had a thousand hands." Spare of words but rich in feeling, this love note tracks some ups and downs but circles back to an attachment so warm and close that only the stoniest of hearts will remain unaffected. Tagging along as his father washes up in the morning, sacks out in front of the television after some vigorous outdoor play, and then goes on into the kitchen to peel apples, the young narrator makes contented comments about dad's hands, muscles and stomach ("soft as a pillow"). When an unspecified offense brings on "thunder daddy," though, the miffed lad heads for "the forest of Other-and-Better"--a staircase, in the pictures, that transforms into a dense, dark forest of trees with shouting mouths--in search of a nicer parent. The scary experience drives him back into the kitchen where dad, who had himself transformed into a hairy, scowling gorilla, offers a bowl of applesauce and reverts bit by bit over a wordless spread as amity is restored. Aside from an early remark that papa "sounds like a mom when he sings in the bath," there's no sign of a second adult. Reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are in its visual transformations and emotional intensity, but with a more present and openly loving parent. (Picture book. 4-6)

Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Johnny sees conflicting sides of his daddy: one minute he sings and makes applesauce, and the next he's a yelling and tired "thunder daddy" sending the boy to his room. The father-child dynamic is realistic--and ultimately hopeful--but the portrayal of the dad's angry mood, both textually ("Johnny, are you deaf?") and in the stark illustrations, is rather unsettling.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

My daddy has warm hands. His fingers taste like applesauce. I wish he had a thousand hands." Spare of words but rich in feeling, this love note tracks some ups and downs but circles back to an attachment so warm and close that only the stoniest of hearts will remain unaffected. Tagging along as his father washes up in the morning, sacks out in front of the television after some vigorous outdoor play, and then goes on into the kitchen to peel apples, the young narrator makes contented comments about dad's hands, muscles and stomach ("soft as a pillow"). When an unspecified offense brings on "thunder daddy," though, the miffed lad heads for "the forest of Other-and-Better"--a staircase, in the pictures, that transforms into a dense, dark forest of trees with shouting mouths--in search of a nicer parent. The scary experience drives him back into the kitchen where dad, who had himself transformed into a hairy, scowling gorilla, offers a bowl of applesauce and reverts bit by bit over a wordless spread as amity is restored. Aside from an early remark that papa "sounds like a mom when he sings in the bath," there's no sign of a second adult. Reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are in its visual transformations and emotional intensity, but with a more present and openly loving parent. (Picture book. 4-6)

School Library Journal (Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

PreS-K Sometimes Johnny's father has smooth cheeks, warm hands, strong muscles, and a soft belly for sleeping on. He makes applesauce and lets his son lick it off his fingers. Those are Johnny's favorite moments. Other times the man's hands are cold and he's a "thunder daddy" who yells at Johnny to pick up his shoes, do his homework, and turn down the TV. Then Johnny wishes he could go to "the forest of Other-and-Better" to find a new daddy who never gets mad. The thundering times come to an end eventually, and soon Daddy is making applesauce again. A parent's unpredictable moods can be frightening to a small child, and this book attempts to address that fear. However, it's unclear whether these are the normal emotional fluctuations of a healthy parent, or whether the father is grappling with more serious issues. Unfortunately, no comfort or explanation is offered to Johnny: he just has to wait it out. The bold, colored pencil and acrylic illustrations are well executed but disconcerting, rendering the father genuinely frightening in some spreads, and merely unappealing in others (as when his "hair is a bush&30;and his breath smells like cauliflower"). The poetic language effectively captures a sensitive child's ambivalence and fears, though, so this picture book might find a home in larger collections. Rachael Vilmar, Eastern Shore Regional Library, Salisbury, MD