Title: Papa ist nicht aufzuhalten (Daddy’s Unstoppable)*
Author: Nadine Brun-Cosme
Illustrator: Aurélie Guillerey
Age Group: 2-7
Synopsis: After the car breaks down before heading to kindergarten, Max is worried about how his Dad will pick him up if it doesn’t work that afternoon. He doesn’t need to worry, his Dad can get creative.
The Low Down:
Bug picked this out for my husband’s birthday. We have so many stories with Moms in them that Bug and I both decided that we needed something just for Dad. Don’t get me wrong, Moms are amazing, we just needed some parental diversity. Papa ist nicht aufzuhalten perfectly captures the quirky yet heroic essence of Dads.
Max and his father begin their journey with a broken car, which throws the plot into motion. They manage to coax the engine to life and then Max’s father drives him to school. However, when his father tells him that he’ll be there to pick him up at the end of the day Max is a bit doubtful. What if the car completely breaks down? His father assures him that no matter what, he’ll be there to pick him up. If he must drive a tractor, dig a tunnel with rabbits, catch a ride from a murder of crows, or find a dragon. Each new method of transportation gets more far fetched but by the end, Max is once again convinced of his father’s ability to overcome any obstacle.
Guillerey illustrates the entire story with a comic flare that shines through the pages. The characters very from simplified to highly detailed and remind me somewhat of Judy Varga (who published mostly in the 60’s and 70’s). The settings are adorable and absolutely quaint, while still maintaining the levity that is present throughout the book The colors pop and paired with the patterns and drawing style it definitely has a retro vibe with a bit of a modern twist. Bug loved the bright colors and highly animated characters but best of all he loved Max’s dad.
Children will always see their father as superheroes, the strongest, the tallest, the best. I remember getting angry when my uncle mentioned my Dad was short in conversation (honestly, at 5’9” he wasn’t breaking any records). I was furious, even though it was true. In my mind my father was a giant. Papa ist nicht aufzuhalten taps into that belief. It speaks to the kids who still believe this and the nostalgia in adults that recognizes a time when there was ultimate belief, that unerring knowledge, that Dad was truly unstoppable
Story Tips:
- Keep an eye out for hints as to the next mode of transportation that Max’s Dad will use to collect him from school.
- Encourage young ones to come up with their own ideas for how Max’s Dad can pick him up from school.
- Read this with a Dad
I need more!
Nadine Brun-Cosme has a whole series about Big Wolf and Little Wolf that look super cute. I’d check up on her new titles via Google or Amazon as her website hasn’t been updated in some time.
Aurélie Guillerey has a good number of books out although most of them are in French. Check out Amazon for more titles as her website is just a link to her Flicker account and contact info.
Add to my library:
* The title for the English version is Daddy Long Legs. So dopey but ah well.
