Book Review: Daddy Goes To Work
Impressionist art and story with minimalist text
Contents:
Who is Lü Jiang?
Lü Jiang is currently a professor of Animation in Nanjing University where they were able to teach and share their love of painting, design, cartoons and animation. They have since published over 50 different books of varying genres and demographics - some academic, some not.
Reading with children
The text itself is very minimal - a line or two per page spread - so this is really suitable for children who are learning to read themselves and recognise characters or for non-native speakers who want an easy book to start off with. Both parent and child will have something to learn from it if they are new to the language!
The book is also easy to follow which makes it most suitable for babies and toddlers. It helps that the story is very basic, following a father on his way to work and returning home at the end of the day to a big hug. Babies and toddlers will benefit from the simplicity of it.
Also, both the EU Luka and the global Luka are able to read it! The recording is really well-made, with gentle upbeat music and narration that doesn’t bind itself to the words on the page.
Tips, artwork and engagement
Lü Jiang combines traditional Chinese art style and patterns with watercolour lines and shapes that make up the impressionistic scenes in this book are rather good at expressing a dream-like quality to the narrative. This is a central part of the book, and a way to engage with it, because it encourages the child to imagine their own parent or parents’ commute(s). It certainly helps to convey the narrative voice belonging to the child waiting for a father to return home.
Because the story’s text is so minimal, it may feel like there isn’t much substance. But Lü Jiang’s art style and the minimal text work hand-in-hand to encourage parent and child to engage with the story and with their imagination. This is the kind of book that requires extra padding provided by either parent or child - the kind that requires discussion and exploration.
Other thoughts
As nice as a sweet forest would be… it’s a little surreal!
We really like the main idea behind the book and we really enjoy how simply and thoughtfully it is told. However, our main reservations with this come from the impressionist art style and the slightly bizarre parts of the story because my sister, Michal, favours a more realist approach to story-telling and art.
But don’t let that deter you if these things are of interest to you and your child! The impressionism and the story is most definitely well-crafted! It really is a matter of personal preference.
Conclusion
Overall, Lü Jiang has pieced together a wonderfully imaginative commute - if only commutes were so fantastical and enjoyable! It does a great job with an impressionist art style and a simple story while conveying the dream-like imagination of the child narrator. We have certain reservations about the art style and some of the more fantastical parts of the story, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a beautifully and thoughtfully crafted book!
I hope this review has been somewhat useful! If you’re interested, this book is available in our store here! It’s also compatible with both the EU Luka and Luka Hero! For more information on both check out these links:
Luka Hero (speaks Chinese and English, will read this book in Mandarin - no in-app purchase): www.lukareads.com
Eu Luka (speaks only German and English but will still read this book in Mandarin - note the audio is an in-app purchase): www.luka-world.com
What are your thoughts on the book? Do you agree/disagree with parts of this review! We’d love to hear from you, so drop a comment below or we can chat on social media.
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