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What's one gift you could receive where everything you guessed would be correct? The answer is clever and reason enough to read this book!
Radha's dad Rion picks them up from school unexpectedly. Rion tells Radha that he got a present for them and thought it might be fun to walk home together and along the way Radha can guess what the present is. Radha has some pretty wild guesses! A steam train that delivers fried chicken? A barracuda with a briefcase? An albino moose with a cello? None of Radha's guesses are correct—not exactly anyway.
"What Did You Get Me?" is a delightful read with engaging, imaginative, and fun illustrations that genuinely lend themselves to children's language and grant us insight into the world kids see within their minds every day. It is fun and showcases a beautiful father-daughter relationship. A relationship that almost any child would be filled with joy to find themselves a part of.
This book misses its five-star mark for me because the author chose to use the pronoun "they" when describing the girl in this book. While it's true men can be sensitive, women can be strong, and each gender can hold within it characteristics of the other, God made us male and female, similar and yet distinctly different. Science and Biology are factual, we are born either male or female, not "they."
If you insist on bucking Science and Biology, tossing them out the window in favor of using the pronoun "they," shouldn't the following sentence be written as, "Rahda looked up at their dad and said, 'You have ice cream on your nose.'" Instead of, "Rahda looked up at her dad and said, 'You have ice cream on your nose?'" If you are going to attempt writing "woke" you need to be sure you're "woke" references stay true to themselves throughout!
Using "they" for the main character in a children's book was a turn-off for me, as was the mention of gifting a mother with a class on how to make cocktails. These are the two main issues I have with this book, as they would stop me from buying it and reading it to my kids. (I'm a mom who doesn't need to replace her kid's whining with a glass of wine; alcohol doesn't make life better, and no one needs a crutch that's a downer!)
If this is a book I wouldn't personally purchase for my kids, how could I give it such a high rating? It receives four stars because I see the value in its inherent, overall goodness: A healthy relationship and love between a father and his daughter, beautiful illustrations, a riddle that's exceptionally written with an answer that's pure genius! While I wouldn't want to introduce the "they" concept to my children during their formative years, to include having them ask me, "What's a cocktail?" I live in a world where others might not care that these things are presented to their children and in fact welcome them. I recognize this book's merit and value, even if I disagree with its presentation.
Reviewed by
Reading books and writing reviews brings with it every emotion under the sun; forever changing, forever changed, and I wouldn't have it any other way. May my words not only help fellow readers but also the authors of the books we read.
Synopsis
Radha's dad Rion picks them up from school unexpectedly. Rion tells Radha that he got a present for them and thought it might be fun to walk home together and along the way Radha can guess what the present is. Radha has some pretty wild guesses! A steam train that delivers fried chicken? A barracuda with a briefcase? An albino moose with a cello? None of Radha's guesses are correct—not exactly anyway.
About the author
Matthew Oliphant brings his love of nature & adventure to his writing, crafting vivid, thought-provoking tales that challenge readers to see differently. Known for the beauty & honesty of his writing, Oliphant is always striving for originality. He is currently working on another book just for you. view profile
Published on October 05, 2022
2000 words
Genre: Picture Books
Reviewed by
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