Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

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Parents' Guide to

The Bench

By Regan McMahon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Loving ode to father-son bond, seen through mom's eyes.

The Bench Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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This sweet celebration of the special bond between father-son bond captures the reality as well as the aspirations to a positive life to come as the boy grows up. The Bench serves as a symbol of the solid, unwavering love that grounds the realationship. "This is your bench/ for papa and son .../ to celebreate joys/ And victories won." But it also acknowledges there will be hard times and tears. "You'll sit on this bench/ As his giving tree,/ Some days he may cry/ Perched there on your knee."

Some of the rhymes seem forced, like "The place you'll call home" with "Where you'll never be 'lone." But the warm, gentle, upbeat vibe and illustrator Christian Robinson's inclusive representation of father-son pairs make the total package charming and relatable.

Book Details

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