PROUD OF YOU SON!

A father praises his son in this picture book.

Using the refrain “I’m Proud of You Son,” a father recounts various milestones in his child’s life. They range from happenings in babyhood (“You cried your first cry / I dried your little eyes”) and childhood (“Your first day of school / you played it so cool”) to teenage rites of passage, such as learning to drive. Eventually, the story gives a glimpse into the future when the man’s son becomes a father himself. Spencer celebrates key moments in everyday life that readers will likely relate to. Although the somewhat sentimental story is written in the first person as a father speaking to his son, Hoit’s illustrations depict different people of various ethnicities. For example, the boy shown in the graduation image has dark skin and brown eyes while the boy playing ball has light skin and blond hair. The simple but effective pictures mostly reflect what is described in the positive text, offering depictions of a boy’s various activities, such as walking for the first time. Some illustrations include subtext. Accompanying the line “When new life has begun / with your own little one / my job will be done” is an image of a stork carrying a baby; the next illustration shows a blue bassinet.

An appealing and upbeat tale about fathers and sons.