Beard in a Box by Bill Cotter - ESSENTIAL

Cotter, Bill. Beard in a Box.  PICTURE BOOK.  Alfred A. Knopf, 2016.  $17.99.   

A young boy thinks his dad is the coolest.  He thinks the “source of his [dad’s] power” is his beard.  The boy sees an infomercial on TV for a beard in a box.  The little boy orders it and tries it out with no success.  Then he notices that his dad has shaved his beard.  His dad tells the boy that his awesomeness has nothing to do with his beard.  In fact, he’ll show his son how to be awesome. 

This picture book manages to pack both comedy and heart in only a few pages.  The illustrations, particularly the “beard” ones, are hilarious.  This would be a great Father’s Day gift for any dad with or without a beard.  A fun, read-a-loud book for a dad-themed story time or a nightly bed time reading.

Pre-K, EL(K-3) -ESSENTIAL.  Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.