Friday, January 09, 2009

My Little Girl


I received a copy of My Little Girl by Tim McGraw and Tom Douglas from Thomas Nelson to review.
My five-year-old daughter and I snuggled up to read this book together. When we finished, she said she loved it. I wasn't so sure. On rereading, I find a couple of things that I like and one flaw.
First, the illustrations are beautiful. Julia Denos really captures the expressions and imagination of a little girl, and the interaction between a father and daughter. Second, the premise of the book- the idea that a father and daughter spending a day together doing nothing in particular and having a wonderful time- is solid, and the character of the little girl is well developed. The dialogue sounds genuine, and the regional expressions such as “Just a time out minute” add flavor to the story. In addition, the varied layout and type added interest to the text pages.
My chief complaint is that the day passes too quickly in the story. While the beginning starts well, the story skips from to lunch, to swinging, to sunset. No day passes that quickly, and it makes the story feel choppy and incomplete, especially as several pages will be spent on one event, and then one page is expected to cover a whole afternoon.
The book is a clear expression of a father’s enjoyment of having a daughter and is enjoyable in a lighthearted way. Fans of Tim McGraw will enjoy this peek into his heart.

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