Just Me and My Dad

Little Critter

by Mercer Mayer

Father and son go camping, but who is really taking care of whom?

This heart-warming tale of a father-and-son camping trip is filled with Little Critter's mistakes and good intentions. In spite of the difficulties, however, the happy father and son manage to put up their tent, catch fish for dinner, and sleep beneath the stars.

Mercer Mayer's Little Critter stories, which address all the major issues of growing up, are perennial favorites of parents and children alike.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Family, Kids, Animals, Humor

24 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Mercer Mayer is an American children's author and illustrator. He has published over 300 books, using a wide range of illustrative styles. Mayer is best known for his Little Critter and Little Monster series of books.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cute factor is high here. I read this for Father’s Day to the kids. My brother is an amazing dad and he is patient and funny (ain’t no bad joke like a dad joke) and really good with his kids. I have seen him do so many of the things the dad does in this book.

This is a good book for the child to read to their own children as a parent to see both sides of life; the child and the adult. This is also just like my nephew. I could see him sinking a canoe trying to put it in the water. His helpfulness really can create some big messes, some of the time.

This is a short book about a camping trip of father and son Critter. They have adventures. There is about a line of text per page. It is a touching story. It’s great for father’s day. I celebrate all the great dads out there like my own dad and my brother. Thank you for making the world a wonderful place.

The nephew loves Little critter. He gave this 5 stars. He wants to go camping now with his dad. The niece has gone with her dad, but the nephew was to young. He’s ready. The niece thought this was a cute book. She spoke of their wonderful times camping. She gave this 4 stars.

[Stepheny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Me and My Dad is another fun Mercer Mayer book that's about exactly what the title indicates. Our favorite Little Critter goes on a camping trip with his Dad.

What I love about this one is that the pictures show us a more accurate side to the story being told. While the words tell us that he stayed up so his dad wouldn't be scared, we can clearly see it's the other way around.

I think the reason I love these books so much is they remind us what it's like to be a kid. They remind us that how our child interprets the day is much different from both how we interpret it and how it actually went down. The innocence of youth and all that. ;)

Ryder and I read this one over the summer. Hearing his giggles makes my heart feel like it will explode. I particularly love hearing him roar like a bear and pointing out the mouse in every scene. These moments are the best part of my day, every day.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

The special bond that a child has with dad is wonderfully portrayed in this heart warming book. Never having a dad in my life growing up I feel as if I missed out on a lot of experiences. Books that look at the special relationship that forms between fathers and their children seem to me to be underrepresented, so I appreciate this book.

[Sandysbookaday (on indefinite hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for my boys when they were little. Both are now in their 40s. Now my three and a half year old grandson is loving it!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure I read this as a kid; it seemed familiar and sweetly nostalgic as I read it. The creature rushing out from the hollow tree made a big impression on me as a kid ;-> I really like the humor and how the text and illustrations work together in telling the story, such as when Little Critter finds a campsite but "someone was already living there" (and said creature angrily shoos them away from his tree). I loved some of the knowing looks the dad gives, but also that he was willing to endure a few bumps along the way in order for his son to learn. I also adored the little spider and grasshopper on every page. So cute! All in all, I think this is a nice read for Father's Day or father-child story time, especially if you enjoy camping.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Little Critter books scared me as a child. But I thought, since I am now grown with my own children, that I would give them another shot.
Nope.

While the stories are totally fine and good, the illustrations and the critters in general are just not for me. No thanks, hard pass.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might be a little bias in my liking for this book because little critter books take me back to good memories from my childhood. My son has also picked up a liking for little critter and has a few of the interactive book apps on his Kindle Fire. He especially loves the little mouse that is hidden on most pages.

“Just Me and My Dad” is special because little critter thinks he is taking care of his dad on a camping trip when in reality it is the other way around. I also appreciate the fact the dad is shown being happy, busy, angry, loving, etc. Real dads display a variety of emotions and children tend to enjoy books with realistic characters. The illustrations are humorous and if you look closely, you can see the animals interacting with each other.

[Exquisite Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was made to read this book 5 times and it is very cute! I loved the drawings

[Stephanie H (My Bookish Itinerary) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
I love Litter Critter books. I remember reading a bunch of these when I was younger, so I enjoyed sharing this one with my daughter.
This is a wonderful story about a child spending time camping with his dad. I love that they do several different things together. And I like how Little Critter tries to do things to help his Dad out, even if it doesn't go the way that he thought it would. And I like that even though things get messed up there is always something else they can do together instead. I think my favorite part is how Little Critter believes that he scared his Dad so he hugs him to make it better, when in actuality it is him that is scared and is being comforted.
And like all Little Critter books, I LOVE the pictures and how well they capture the story.
It is a funny and loving story focusing on a father/child relationship. And I think it is a wonderful book for children to share with fathers. I know my daughters will enjoy sharing this book with their dad.

This review as well as Cutie Pie���s rating and thoughts can be found on my blog: Her Reviews of Books, Movies, and Everything

[Beckie Coldiron · Rating 5 out of 5]

" Just Me and My Dad" is one of my favorite Mercer Mayer books! I love this cute story, and I think it's important to have books like this in your classroom library because this could be a typical family situation. This book is simple, so it would be a great one to use for sequencing or even retell with a small group. I would recommend this book for children in kindergarten through second grade.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good! I absolutely loved these little critter books!

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love all the little critter books!

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Me and My Dad was about a little boy and his dad’s escapades while on a camping trip and all the fun they had. The illustrations were well drawn and colorful.

[Taryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Little Critter but this one isn't as strong as Just Me and My Mom.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of Mercer Mayers' immensely popular series of picture-books featuring the "Little Critter" - this character, which always looks a bit like a shaggy guinea pig to me, debuted in 1975, in Just for You , and has now featured in over two hundred titles - Just Me and My Dad follows the Little Critter as he and his father take to the woods for a night of camping. Narrated from the son's perspective, it details their many (mis)adventures, from setting up a tent to fishing in the nearby stream, concluding with the statement: "We slept in our tent all night long - just me and my dad."

Chosen as one of our June selections, over in The Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme this month is "fathers," Just Me and My Dad is a sweet little father-son story, with a humorous disconnect between artwork and text. The Little Critter clearly imagines that he is in charge, and is leading his father, while the illustrations make it plain that Dad is quietly addressing all the problems that arise. I never really became a fan of this series, as a girl, although I was well aware of its existence, so I'm glad that The Picture-Book Club chose this one, as it gave me the opportunity to sample a representative storyline. Well worth checking out, especially if you are looking for children's stories featuring the father-son relationship!

[Audric the Illiterate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope if we go camping, mom comes too

[Shanna Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this story, Little Critter goes on a camping trip with his father, leaving his mother and baby sister at home. The story is narrated from Little Critter's perspective, and his statements contradict the illustrations with a gentle irony that young children will appreciate. For example, he says, "My dad was tired, so I pitched the tent," and the facing picture shows Dad rescuing him from a disordered pile of fabric and tent poles. The story could be a perfect preparation for a real camping trip, but is worthwhile to read for its own sake; the father is kind and loving, and the scene is very secure. This is a gread story about a dad having fun with his son, giving him an exciting experience and teaching him new skills.

[Zachary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I often don't review or add children's books to my goodreads list, but this book is something special. My parents read this book to me when I was a child, and I have a father that has always taken me camping, so this book holds something personal for me. Now that I am parent, I've been reading this book to my little son almost every night. Its one of his favorite books, and I too love going camping with my son. In many ways this is one of my most treasured books; not only because its written well and captures some of the beauties of a father son relationship, but because its become part of me on some level or another. That said, I can surely recommend this book to any father who enjoys camping and likes to read to his son.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son in first grade has been reading this book for weeks. I'm hoping to take my sons camping this summer, so I like this theme. But we're not going to fish, and a bear isn't going to take our fish. Bears are dangerous, and this book is a little bit too relaxed on the subject of bears for my taste. No bears on the east coast where I hike, to my knowledge, but up in the Adirondacks there are. I hope to take my boys there sometimes. The illustrations are good. I like the subject of just being with one son, one on one time.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic story that I remember from my childhood. Like many of my other favorite children's books growing up the pictures have so much detail you can find something new each time you look. I used to read this with my dad and we'd do stuff like fish together like in the book. I hope my future husband will read this with my children and my family can have a great experience with this book as I did.

I would not necessarily put this in my future classroom. It just seems like a book you would want a family to share together.

[Seth · Rating 5 out of 5]

PB:44 Just Me and My Dad. One of my favorite Mercer Mayer books. The illustrations are so detailed and when you re-read the book agagin, you notice the little things like the spider and cricket on practically every page. It makes you go back to your childhood remembering the memories of just hanging out with your Dad which is more difficult to do when getting older. The book will simply make an older adult appreciate their Dad so much more! I recommend this to anybody!

[Mkittysamom · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son read this to me! Loves to find the spider and grasshopper! Cute book!

[Mackenzie Guthrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

First page has a cricket in a boot- off to a sTRONG start.

The premise of this feel-good story is that "me and my dad" go camping, so it was already a success in my mind. There are animals on every page just chillin' which is a BIG+

Not too much conflict or character development, which means it lacked a lil in the plot-line area ( !!- The bear that stole their dinner looked like he was just messing around and the dad made eggs instead anywhos ). BUT the dad was definitely hiding his laughter and I love the funniez in a family.

cHIPMUNK ENTERTAINMENT.

Altogether, a solid book. Didn't really make me feel strong feelings, but had a clear trajectory and still holds up for ppl who enjoy camping and cricket friends.

7/10 would read to other kiddos.

[Shay Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best father/kid book.

[Kurtbg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of recoccuring detail to “find” and invoke discussion.

[Karley Barfield]

Text-to-Self Connection
Just Me and My Dad is such a special book to me! It reminds me of the times I spent with my dad growing up. Me and my dad have a great relationship. This is a good book for the child to read to their own children as a parent to see both sides of life; the child and the adult. Whether Little Critter and his dad were canoeing, fishing, or building a campfire, they always found a way to spend quality time together and that is something to cherish.

[Monica Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book for a boy

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kiddo made her Dad pretty happy by bringing this book home from the library. And it is just as sweet as you'd expect.

[Scarlett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. The kid is very prideful and self-confident, which is accurate to most kids, I suppose.

[Dope Ghost Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming and sweet!