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Side by Side
A heartfelt and playful ode to the father-child relationship, by two-time Caldecott-medal-winning author Chris Raschka
King and Jester, Boat and Captain, Mountain and Climber... fathers and children are all of these things and more in Chris Raschka's tribute to this familial pair. Each stanza presents three scenarios in which the father and child's roles are subtly balanced. The pairs vary between stanzas, coming together in a visit to an ice-cream truck. With minimal text and maximum emotion, the book encapsulates Raschka's own passion and nostalgia for being a father to his [now-grown] son.
Ages 3-5
King and Jester, Boat and Captain, Mountain and Climber... fathers and children are all of these things and more in Chris Raschka's tribute to this familial pair. Each stanza presents three scenarios in which the father and child's roles are subtly balanced. The pairs vary between stanzas, coming together in a visit to an ice-cream truck. With minimal text and maximum emotion, the book encapsulates Raschka's own passion and nostalgia for being a father to his [now-grown] son.
Ages 3-5
48 pages, Hardcover
First published March 11, 2019
About the author
Chris Raschka
138 books146 followersChris Raschka is the illustrator of The Hello, Goodbye Window, which was awarded the Caldecott Medal. He is also the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor Book Yo! Yes?; Charlie Parker Played Be Bop; Mysterious Thelonious; John Coltrane’s Giant Steps; Can’t Sleep; and The Magic Flute. He lives with his wife and son in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
March 17, 2019
Dads and their kids. Flying kites. Fishing. Playing checkers. Napping. Swinging. Doing things together. Side by side.
It's a book that is full of action, full of joy, full of delight, with bold pictures of an endless variety of dads and their children spending time together. It's the ideal gift book, but it's also a story that should be celebrated, the stories of the wonders of kids and their dads.
I can't recommend this book enough.
It's a book that is full of action, full of joy, full of delight, with bold pictures of an endless variety of dads and their children spending time together. It's the ideal gift book, but it's also a story that should be celebrated, the stories of the wonders of kids and their dads.
I can't recommend this book enough.
March 26, 2019
I do wish that the title didn't include "A Celebration of Dads" because this could really be about any male figure in a child's life.
March 17, 2019
I read this book within days of listening to the KildLit Women* podcast episodes with Jennifer Mann about how mothers and fathers are portrayed in children’s literature. Her research about how fathers are often portrayed as having fun with their children while mothers are still portrayed as the nurturers, was on my mind the entire time I read this book. While there are some pages where there is a depiction of a nurturing father, I couldn’t help but think about how this book was contributing to the issue rather than disrupting it. That being said I appreciated the illustrations.
April 4, 2019
I love how this moves from playing together to playing independently (but still nearby) to teaching to simply being present and available with one another, capturing all the ways fathers can be positive presences in their children's lives. I love, too, the diversity of the pairings, especially the (burly) father who is a "dreamer" to his child's "doer." Lovely.
April 3, 2019
I like the unconventional shape of this picture book. The brightly colored illustrations are also a plus. And, it is refreshing to see something actually champion a male figure, and fathers at that! Although the text itself is nothing special, the other positive aspects make this a solid three in my estimation.
July 31, 2019
I try to appreciate Chris Rashka's art, but it just isn't my jam. However, I did like this book. It is always nice to see a celebration of nurturing, caring dads interacting with their little ones.
July 8, 2020
Side by Side: A Celebration of Dads by Chris Raschka. PICTURE BOOK. Phaidon Press. $19. 9780714878669
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K. EL (K-3)- ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Side by Side presents us with an adorable celebration of dads and their unique and emotional connection to their children. Boat and captain, Mountain and climber, Horse and rider, father and child learn and grow Side by Side. Fathers of all types, sizes and ethic backgrounds are represented in this heartfelt tale of relationships between fathers and their sons and daughters.
Our favorite part of Side by Side is near the end of the book. A father is teaching his son how to fish. "Teacher and learner" is the simple text. The very next page the text is reversed and reads, "Learner and Teacher" as a daughter is the teacher and is attempting to teacher her dad how to jump rope. The jump rope is all tangled around his knees and ankles! The illustrations are very endearing! Although this is a simple book with very little text, Chris Raschka brings us a very heartwarming celebration of the physical and emotional bonds between a father and child. Side by Side would make the perfect Father's Day gift!
Reviewer: SL
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K. EL (K-3)- ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Side by Side presents us with an adorable celebration of dads and their unique and emotional connection to their children. Boat and captain, Mountain and climber, Horse and rider, father and child learn and grow Side by Side. Fathers of all types, sizes and ethic backgrounds are represented in this heartfelt tale of relationships between fathers and their sons and daughters.
Our favorite part of Side by Side is near the end of the book. A father is teaching his son how to fish. "Teacher and learner" is the simple text. The very next page the text is reversed and reads, "Learner and Teacher" as a daughter is the teacher and is attempting to teacher her dad how to jump rope. The jump rope is all tangled around his knees and ankles! The illustrations are very endearing! Although this is a simple book with very little text, Chris Raschka brings us a very heartwarming celebration of the physical and emotional bonds between a father and child. Side by Side would make the perfect Father's Day gift!
Reviewer: SL
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
July 26, 2024
A simple word and picture book that celebrates and shows the many ways a dad and child share love and do things together.
March 9, 2019
My first impulse with any books by Chris Raschka is to rave. When it comes to reviewing, though, I force myself to be more objective.
The subtext of the title, SIDE BY SIDE: A Celebration of Dads, says it all. Each three-page-turn-stanza of this poetic celebration is a story unto itself. Each sequence suggests an extended experience, words not rhymed but beautifully chosen and paced to reveal the roles on both sides- the father and the child-through a variety of activities, ethnicities, genders, and settings.
Use your imagination to picture these examples:
Horse and rider
Queen and jester
Side by side
Mountain and climber
Dreamer and doer
Side by side
Now, try your best to view your mental pictures as interpreted by Chris Raschka: vibrant colors, loose and flowing swashes of color, soft edges, movement and action, expressive faces, and shifting perspectives on the page. The tall but narrow trim size provides ample room for soaring kites and scaled dad-kid images. The end papers are a delight: opening papers combine the dad/kid hats from the interior, while closing papers do the same with the paired pairs of shoes from the interior stories.
From cover to cover, from head to toe, from scene to scene, this is a winner. I can hardly imagine a child or parent who would not embrace (literally, embrace) this book. It is an ideal gift book, of course, but it is equally suited to day-to-day reading and circulation in classroom, libraries, bookstores, families, and more.
Rave, right?
It is, and it is well-earned.
The subtext of the title, SIDE BY SIDE: A Celebration of Dads, says it all. Each three-page-turn-stanza of this poetic celebration is a story unto itself. Each sequence suggests an extended experience, words not rhymed but beautifully chosen and paced to reveal the roles on both sides- the father and the child-through a variety of activities, ethnicities, genders, and settings.
Use your imagination to picture these examples:
Horse and rider
Queen and jester
Side by side
Mountain and climber
Dreamer and doer
Side by side
Now, try your best to view your mental pictures as interpreted by Chris Raschka: vibrant colors, loose and flowing swashes of color, soft edges, movement and action, expressive faces, and shifting perspectives on the page. The tall but narrow trim size provides ample room for soaring kites and scaled dad-kid images. The end papers are a delight: opening papers combine the dad/kid hats from the interior, while closing papers do the same with the paired pairs of shoes from the interior stories.
From cover to cover, from head to toe, from scene to scene, this is a winner. I can hardly imagine a child or parent who would not embrace (literally, embrace) this book. It is an ideal gift book, of course, but it is equally suited to day-to-day reading and circulation in classroom, libraries, bookstores, families, and more.
Rave, right?
It is, and it is well-earned.
March 21, 2019
Richie’s Picks: SIDE BY SIDE: A CELEBRATION OF DADS by Chris Raschka, Phaidon, March 2019, 48p., ISBN: 978-0-7148-7866-9
“From the hospital that first night
Took an hour just ta get the car seat in right
People drivin’ all fast got me kinda upset”
-- from “Just the Two of Us,” Will Smith’s song about fatherhood (1997)
“Horse and rider
Queen and jester
Side by side”
SIDE BY SIDE, Chris Raschka’s exquisite and joyous picture book ode to father-child relationships. features six diverse father-child pairs playing together, chillin’ together, dancing together, eating together, and hanging together under umbrellas. The text is lyrical; the watercolor illustrations by the two-time Caldecott medalist are buoyant and blissful and filled with depictions of active play and camaraderie, love and deep connection.
“Mountain and climber
Dreamer and doer
Side by side”
Having been a father, and now a put-’em-on-my-back-and-charge-up-and- down-the-stairs grandpa, I am a sucker for this touching book. It makes me smile, smile, and smile.
And given all my paternal end-of-the-day recollections, I find something sweet and memorable about the book’s conclusion. On the back cover, set upon a white background, we see two pairs of scuffed-up shoes with laces askew, one dad-sized and one little kid-sized. Two pairs, side-by-side.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
“From the hospital that first night
Took an hour just ta get the car seat in right
People drivin’ all fast got me kinda upset”
-- from “Just the Two of Us,” Will Smith’s song about fatherhood (1997)
“Horse and rider
Queen and jester
Side by side”
SIDE BY SIDE, Chris Raschka’s exquisite and joyous picture book ode to father-child relationships. features six diverse father-child pairs playing together, chillin’ together, dancing together, eating together, and hanging together under umbrellas. The text is lyrical; the watercolor illustrations by the two-time Caldecott medalist are buoyant and blissful and filled with depictions of active play and camaraderie, love and deep connection.
“Mountain and climber
Dreamer and doer
Side by side”
Having been a father, and now a put-’em-on-my-back-and-charge-up-and- down-the-stairs grandpa, I am a sucker for this touching book. It makes me smile, smile, and smile.
And given all my paternal end-of-the-day recollections, I find something sweet and memorable about the book’s conclusion. On the back cover, set upon a white background, we see two pairs of scuffed-up shoes with laces askew, one dad-sized and one little kid-sized. Two pairs, side-by-side.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
February 1, 2020
Side by Side: A Celebration of Dads (Hardcover)
Author: Chris Rashka (Two-time Caldecott Medalist)
Format: Picture book
Selection: Diverse Literature Selection
Copyright: 2019
This beautifully illustrated children's picture book showcases the diversity of children and their dads. Several ethnic groups are portrayed in the book which celebrates being with your father, "side by side". This book pairs common things like "Crane and cargo" and "Engine and railcar" together followed with the words "side by side". This book cherishes thee relationship between all fathers and their children.
I chose this book because I believe that it is a wonderful illustration of the fathers in our lives. Parents are constantly underappreciated and we need to celebrate them for all that they are in our lives. This book shows the tender relationships that children have with their dads in a positive and uplifting way. Young children will be able to digest the concepts within the book while enjoying the pictures.
Author: Chris Rashka (Two-time Caldecott Medalist)
Format: Picture book
Selection: Diverse Literature Selection
Copyright: 2019
This beautifully illustrated children's picture book showcases the diversity of children and their dads. Several ethnic groups are portrayed in the book which celebrates being with your father, "side by side". This book pairs common things like "Crane and cargo" and "Engine and railcar" together followed with the words "side by side". This book cherishes thee relationship between all fathers and their children.
I chose this book because I believe that it is a wonderful illustration of the fathers in our lives. Parents are constantly underappreciated and we need to celebrate them for all that they are in our lives. This book shows the tender relationships that children have with their dads in a positive and uplifting way. Young children will be able to digest the concepts within the book while enjoying the pictures.
May 21, 2019
I liked the concept of the book, but didn't love the execution. This particular style of illustration is definitely not my favorite - it's too sloppy for me. But I did like the text - easy for little ones to follow and figure out what's meant by each set of things. Queen and jester, teacher and learner, bed and sleeper, mountain and climber. Very cool way of showing both the relationships and the more figurative side of things.
Also, I wish that moms in books got to have as much fun with their kids as dads in books do. :-p Dads always get to play, moms always get to make breakfast and put to bed.
Also, I wish that moms in books got to have as much fun with their kids as dads in books do. :-p Dads always get to play, moms always get to make breakfast and put to bed.
August 26, 2019
one of the reviewers commented that the book would be better without the subtitle, a celebration of Dads...b/c it can well be a book of how the male parent or guardian can relate in so many imaginative ways with those they are caring for.
as i turn the pages, I wonder how the child and the parent will interact on the next page. I would have appreciated a little more emphasis on tasks, such as making a bed, or washing and drying dishes...
lots of fun stuff to do together, but chores can be fun as well. i think i liked the waker and sleeper depiction best.
as i turn the pages, I wonder how the child and the parent will interact on the next page. I would have appreciated a little more emphasis on tasks, such as making a bed, or washing and drying dishes...
lots of fun stuff to do together, but chores can be fun as well. i think i liked the waker and sleeper depiction best.
March 7, 2019
This retro-style picture book depicts pictures of children pretending with their dads. It will be great to use with groups in a story time, asking children to imagine, for example, a father as a swing with a child in the seat.
The book gets extra points for drawings of children of diverse backgrounds, making the book universal.
The theme in the end, as the title suggests, is that each child ends up spending time with their dad, side by side.
The book gets extra points for drawings of children of diverse backgrounds, making the book universal.
The theme in the end, as the title suggests, is that each child ends up spending time with their dad, side by side.
April 30, 2019
Side by Side: A celebration of dads by Chris Raschka showed up just in time for Father's Day! This breezy picture book is a delight for the eyes with colorful illustrations of Dads and their chilren enjoying many activities together. The illustration of hats and shoes alone will create an opportunity for plenty of enjoyable discussions with parent and child. For ages 2 -5 and dads, of course.
May 9, 2019
Great concept for a book about dads and all they do with their little ones. I enjoyed the ideas on each page and could relate these events to those my husband has experienced with our boys. However, the illustrations seemed messy and not at all edited as some aspects of the illustrations seemed unplanned.
April 9, 2021
Simple words and beautiful watercolor illustrations celebrate dads who are present and invested in the lives of their little ones. Four pages are dedicated to each duo assigning them a theme of play and titles based on their role in the pretending. So cute. A great father's day book for lower elementary.
March 28, 2019
A diverse pairing for fathers and their child interacting together in a wide variety of ways. From being a train or a crane to a teacher and a learner, text and wonderfully energetic watercolor illustrations celebrate the bond of father and child.
Reviewer 5
Reviewer 5
Read
January 4, 2020This book was so fun! It has diverse people by race in it. It's a celebration of dads but also a celebration of playing with your dad in make-believe ways. Really great.
Play category for CLEL Bells
Play category for CLEL Bells
September 9, 2021
Great book when speaking about family. Raschka’s book depicted the many roles that dad’s play in the lives of their children. The marriage between illustration and text was extremely effective throughout the book.
December 31, 2021
2.5 Raschka's style doesn't work for me when applied to humans (as opposed to dogs (like Daisy (in A Ball for Daisy))) but I love the tall format, the subject matter, and of course the diversity! The parallelism of teacher:learner and learner:teacher was beautiful.
June 22, 2023
I love the illustrations! The book is so simple and sweet. The power of a loving father is real. Children will hopefully see themselves in at least one of these examples of a father/child relationship.
March 22, 2019
A delightful tribute to dads and kids together.
Soft water color illustrations bring the action, love and joy to life.
Soft water color illustrations bring the action, love and joy to life.
March 23, 2019
A celebration of dads and their offspring. Eye-catching, colorful Raschka illustrations.
March 26, 2019
Good book for families includes men
March 28, 2019
Diverse dads are playing with their child. Very limited text with some great vocabulary words for kids to learn. I liked the clean but playful illustrations of daddy time.
April 3, 2019
I'm usually not blown away with Raschka's work, but I really did like this title! (Yay!)
April 25, 2019
I think my favorite part was when it showed the child learning from the dad as well as the dad learning from the child.
April 26, 2019
Bright, bold, retro-style illustrations are a highlight of this celebration of dads and the cool things they do.
Veg*n parents note: There is a scene of a dad teaching a kid how to fish.
Veg*n parents note: There is a scene of a dad teaching a kid how to fish.
May 5, 2019
A lovely exploration of fatherhood
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews