TOO EARLY... But Never Too Late for Daddy

 I did not write a post in celebration of FATHERS' DAY last Sunday, as I had done in the past, HERE and HERE. Looking back, though, I have also written about the importance of fathers' work on other days of the year, HERE, HERE, and HERE. That was reassuring, reminding me of my innate resistance to celebrating and remembering important people and contributions at designated times, dictated by the calendar. So, without the apology I had planned to offer for not posting this last Sunday, on Fathers' Day, I am excited to share one of the most tender, glowing, and huggable picture books I've read lately.

ABRAMS
BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
2022

TOO EARLY sounds as if it, too, is about bad timing. Written by Nora Ericson and illustrated by Elly MacKay, the first line, "I wake up too early", clarifies the topic. This youngster is emerging from bed in starlight-spangled jammies, toting bed-bunny in one hand, waking up too early for her exhausted parents. Even so, her sleepy daddy rises (reluctantly) and together they spend a precious few early morning minutes together: watching the doggies stretch, sipping on mugs of warm milk and hot coffee, experiencing the big sky, cool air, and brilliant moon on the back porch.

The scenes portrayed on each double spread are mounted on blue backgrounds with masterful use of glowing light, shadows, and perspectives to allow both daddy and child to notice the night star, the coo of doves, and the warmth of a porch hug. 

With each page turn, the background lightens slightly, blended tones of pink and yellow emerging. Eventually the baby cries upstairs and "rush" takes its turn while the doggies slip back to sleep. From the nearly indigo front papers to the pale blue end papers, readers have shared these precious father-child minutes. Just as the family pair are likely to do this again and again (since that "too early" waking is clearly a pattern), readers may return to the book again and again to experience this.

The text is simple and subtle, with hints toward rhyme and other lyrical lifts, but relying on purity of phrase and childlike observations. The combination of wry remarks and background visual details allow for light humor and recognition of real life, too.

People often say they are "Larks" or "Owls", some waking (and functioning best) in the early hours with others shining in the very late hours of each day. Whatever determines that in each of us, it does appear to be innate. I didn't learn those labels until much later, but knew from early on that I was a lark. Dad was the household "first up" in my childhood. He used an alarm but usually I was lying awake to hear it go off. At an early age, unlike this child, I'd reluctantly stay in bed, waiting until it was time for me to get up. By the time I was in school, though, I'd wait for Dad to click the  bathroom door closed, preparing for another day at work. Then I'd slip downstairs, open the front door to retrieve the morning paper, and settle into a chair to read, refolding each section  when I finished. The house was still and dark except for my single light. By the time I heard the bathroom door open, I'd settle the paper at Dad's place at the table and head up to get ready for school. On a few mornings when the paper held some longer attraction, I'd feel Dad's hand on my head when he came down, sometimes saying, "Good morning, early bird!". 

I read many books that resonate with my memories, many books I wish I'd written. TOO EARLY feels to me like a book that came from a personal memory but will feel to many readers as if it was written just for them.