Dad Bakes

Starred review from July 19, 2021
Inspired by families affected by incarceration, muralist Yamasaki (Everything Naomi Loved) follows a bald, tattooed, apparently East Asian father and his child in this deceptively simple picture book. “Dad wakes,” the volume opens; he stretches as a clock reads 3 a.m., a golden ribbon with a protracted “yawn” stretching from his mouth. Heading out through empty city streets (“The moon shines./ Dad walks”), he arrives at Rise Up! Bakery, where he joins tattooed Black and brown-skinned employees in baking bread. Author-illustrator Yamasaki offers spare, cadenced prose: “He scoops./ He kneads./ He rolls.// Dough rises./ Dad makes small rolls,/ Dad makes large loaves.” At daybreak, Dad returns home; after resting, he and his child make their own dough, waiting for it to rise as they spend time together in paneled vignettes—gardening, reading, playing soccer—before Dad gives his child a warm surprise. Richly saturated, dynamic paintings showcase expressive, inclusive community, and intricately detailed spreads offer plenty to pore over in this meditative tale centering the significance of daily rhythms as well as familial and community love. Back matter includes an affecting author’s note, including links to organizations that support formerly incarcerated people and their families. Ages 6–8.

October 1, 2021
Grades K-3 This slice-of-life picture book captures the loving relationship between an Asian father and daughter and their shared love of baking. The father, depicted in the warm and energetic illustrations as bald and tattooed, wakes up before the sun rises to go work in a bakery. After his shift with other tattooed, racially diverse workers, the father returns home for some rest, after which he and his daughter prepare dough together. While the dough rises, they participate in activities, shown through vignettes, that capture the closeness of their bond. The father later surprises his daughter with a special bake. The colorful painted artwork conveys the tender and heartwarming tone of the story. The writing is very simple and, at first glance, so is the story. It is not until the author's note at the end that the reader learns about the author's inspiration for the book, which came from her experience working in correctional facilities as a muralist. Resources to learn more about organizations helping families rebuild after incarceration cap off this heartfelt work.

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Starred review from November 1, 2021

Gr 2-4-The plot of this thoughtful book is summed up by its brilliantly succinct title, but there is much more beneath the surface! Dad, tattooed and tired, works as a baker early every morning. He returns home for a nap, before spending the day with his young daughter. Together, they knead dough and spend time reading and playing while it rises. Yamasaki's characters are brimming with life and movement that is set against bright backgrounds. Comic-style panels are occasionally employed to depict the passage of time. The straightforward text of simple sentences is often smartly placed within open areas of the artwork. Yamasaki, a muralist by trade, incorporates sound effects into her beautiful illustrations. When characters hum or yawn, ribbons of the effect emanate from them, as if they are releasing steam. Dad and his daughter present as part of the AAPI community. In the book's back matter is a guide to nonprofit organizations who help families rebuild after a parent has been incarcerated. While it could be inferred that Dad was formerly incarcerated, that fact is never explicitly mentioned in the text. Instead, the book stands as a affirmation of a man's love as a father, his work as a baker, and his humanity. VERDICT This deeply empathetic title invites conversation and participation from so many angles; it is a must for all collections.-Chance Lee Joyner, Haverhill P.L., MA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2022
A father wakes before the sun and heads off to work while his daughter sleeps. Alongside other tattooed bakers in hairnets and short sleeves, he starts the day preparing dough. "He scoops. / He kneads. / He rolls." After a morning of baking bread in all different shapes and sizes, the father hangs up his apron and returns home to his now-awake child. The day truly begins for this family of two once Dad has risen from his after-work nap. Now father and daughter can set to work baking their own creation -- with plenty of time for play while the dough rests -- before the sun sets. The story's text is short and poetic, directing readers' focus to the book's glorious art. Yamasaki's (Everything Naomi Loved, rev. 1/21) paintings create a dreamlike atmosphere throughout, such as in an eye-catching image showing the bakery floating among the clouds as Dad heads out the door and into the bright blue sky. Although never specifically mentioned in the text, an author's note discusses incarceration and its effects on families. Hill Saxton

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from August 1, 2021
A loving father bakes at work and at home to make a life for his child and himself. Under a full moon, Dad wakes and walks to work. Streetlights glow as an elevated train passes, and the Rise Up Bakery beckons with its warm light. Inside, Dad works side by side through the night with racially diverse bakers of different ages, returning home in the morning. While he rests, his capable child keeps busy till it's time to wake Dad. Together they make bread and share in small moments while waiting for the dough to rise--reading, gardening, playing dress-up and soccer. At last they enjoy the teddy-bear-shaped bread on their rooftop before Dad tucks his little one into bed. These peaceful vignettes weave a picture of love and devotion, of parenthood and childhood enjoyed to its fullest. Heartfelt painterly illustrations offer a much-needed depiction of the diversity of fathers. Here, Dad is of Asian descent with a shaved bald head, brown skin, and an abundance of tattoos. Yamasaki's simple text is accessible to even young readers. Her author's note also brings a new dimension to the story, as she dedicates it to families affected by incarceration and the organizations helping them to rebuild their lives. Subtle hints that incarceration is a part of the main characters' past are in the opening, wordless spreads, showing the child reading a box of letters from Dad. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Full of quiet moments of joy and affirmation. (Picture book. 3-7)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2022
A father wakes before the sun and heads off to work while his daughter sleeps. Alongside other tattooed bakers in hairnets and short sleeves, he starts the day preparing dough. "He scoops. / He kneads. / He rolls." After a morning of baking bread in all different shapes and sizes, the father hangs up his apron and returns home to his now-awake child. The day truly begins for this family of two once Dad has risen from his after-work nap. Now father and daughter can set to work baking their own creation -- with plenty of time for play while the dough rests -- before the sun sets. The story's text is short and poetic, directing readers' focus to the book's glorious art. Yamasaki's (Everything Naomi Loved, rev. 1/21) paintings create a dreamlike atmosphere throughout, such as in an eye-catching image showing the bakery floating among the clouds as Dad heads out the door and into the bright blue sky. Although never specifically mentioned in the text, an author's note discusses incarceration and its effects on families.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)