MY DAD’S JOB

A youngster listens to his dad talk about work each night and takes it too literally. “On Wednesday, Dad was really tired. He told Mom that the market was up and down and that the bulls and bears were giving everyone a wild ride.” Mom dispels the boy’s visions of a bovine/ursine rodeo by telling him they aren’t that type of bulls and bears. After several days of misunderstandings, the boy goes to work with his dad. The office building doesn’t look like a place anyone would have fun . . . until they open the doors to Dad’s office. The place is full of bulls, bears—and aliens. In the end, he decides he wants to go with Dad every day. Bush’s watercolors bring this play-on-words to life: each family member has an obvious personality in the realistic scenes; in the boy’s fantasies, pictures of office workers fighting off hostile takeovers and playing on teams are a hoot. The single gatefold page might not wear well in libraries, but the glossary of Dad’s work-speak at the end is a definite plus. Silly, but fun. (Picture book. 5-9)