Children's Books - Funny Parenting Stories for Fathers (and Mothers)

Winston and Friends Show what Pets can do Around the House

Things don’t go as planned for Winston. Luckily, Rollo sees something is bothering him and explains he already does things for his family. Our pets don’t realize (or don’t care) that they contribute to their household just by being friends and companions. Cats rest on out laps when we’re sitting reading or watching television. Dogs can sense when we’re feeling down and come up to us to cheer us up. There are many things our pets can do to cheer us up after a bad day.

Daddies and mommies know I do a lot of writing about the animals in our house. Like our children, some of these stories provide a little more excitement than we would like. If it’s a mess in the house or a special trip to the vet, or a combination of the two, Kitty and Doggie have provided some adventures that leave Wife and I collapsing on our bed at the end of the stay, staring at the ceiling.

Our Pets Help in Different Ways

People have pets for companionship. It’s a far cry from the good old days when dogs would be used for hunting out in the fields or warning residents of visitors to the village. That being said, Doggie does get a little excited and boisterous when someone approaches our door or, God forbid, walks past our house.

Kitty does protect our house. Members of my household may not agree with this irrefutable statement of fact, but I know what I see when Kitty and I are hanging out. Her services have prevented mice from infiltrating our home and other rodents from pillaging our fruit and vegetable gardens.

Animals provide protection and companionship. My family is grateful for the many gifts they provide us, and we show our appreciation in return with food, shelter, and the occasional gift and/or treat.

A Children’s Book about Dogs and Cats

If you are a pet owner, or just someone who loves animals, you should see the works of Gloria Kundig and Caroline George. These animal-loving ladies have written children’s books about a dog named Winston and his cat friends, Rollo, Rooney, and Kaia. These books are great for you to read with your children or for your children to practice reading on their own. I tried many times to have The Boy read to me, but according to him, it was always better to have it the other way around.

The Cast of Characters

Winston – A Dachshund
Rollo – A British longhair cat
Rooney – A British shorthair cat
Kaia – A ragdoll cat

Winston and his African Adventure

One day, Winston and the cats are out in the backyard enjoying the sunshine when Winston came across an old map. The excited dog galloped to his feline friends to show them what he found laying in the yard. It was a map of Africa. The friends packed treats and toys and made their journey there. The friends encountered jungles and savannahs and met new friends who lived there. Winston and the cats also learned about bravery from a lion. The four domesticated animals marveled at the stripes on a zebra and the speed of a cheetah. All the while, there was fun and games and new friendships.

Winston and the cats returned home and told the humans about the fun they had in Africa, the games they played and the things they learned. Their time with the new friends allowed them to learn about a new place and the animals who call that new place home.

A Quest to Find his Purpose

“Your family loves you, and you already do a lot for them.” – Rollo

There is another story about Winston shared by Gloria and Caroline. In this story, Winston sees his humans working around the house cleaning and making sure everything is orderly. Winston wants to help the family. He wants to be able to contribute, but this mission isn’t as easy as he first thought it would be.

Winston wants to weed the garden, but he ends up pulling flowers out of the garden. He wants to make something yummy for the family. Unfortunately, Winston finds out he’s not a great cook. He then tries to clean up around the house. This doesn’t end well. Here’s a hint: How do dogs clean themselves?

Winston’s books contain a lot of self-discovery and adventures. As I mentioned before, they are easy enough to read on their own, or you can have fun reading these with your children. You can also use your imagination. What do you think your children would do if they had the chance to explore in Africa?

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Adventures can Happen Anytime

Parenting is an adventure. Mommies and Daddies know that. Sometimes, it’s a little more adventurous than we would like it to be. The fun adventures are usually on vacations that families take together. Other adventures can involve trips to the emergency room. That’s never fun.

Adventures with my family can be one day or stretch out for more than that. On some days, we have a plan, but things take an unexpected turn.

If there is a vacation, we will plan that. If it’s a one-day adventure, it might come to us in the moment. Whatever it is, excitement and adventure seem to be around the corner from us.

Claire the German Shepherd

If you haven’t met Claire the German Shepherd, allow me to introduce you to her. Claire is the main character of “Adventures of German Shepherd and Egret” by Claire Kroft. Our German Shepherd is looking for new adventures and maybe someone to accompany her on the adventures. An owl suggests she talks to the Egret. The Egret, Adam, flies in and introduces himself to Claire. Together, Adam and Claire go to the Summit of Adventures. There are many animals at the Summit of Adventures. Each of them is working on a new experiment that will improve life for everyone around the world.

Learning through Adventures

After chatting with the animals, Adam and Claire spend the next day talking to individual animals. The German Shepherd and Egret learn about the different experiments, including a virtual reality tour with a bear. After that was a podcast where animals discuss their goals for the experiments they are perfecting.

My family’s adventures don’t revolve around inventing or designing. Our time on the road is spent checking out locations and landmarks we haven’t seen before. Trying to improve ourselves and our home and community is usually done when we are home.

Learning new things and putting new techniques into practice can be an adventure in itself. That is the point of Claire’s book, and it’s a great point. Throughout the book, Claire and Adam meet new friends and are introduced to new ideas and projects that can improve the world. While these ideas are imaginary, they can provide a launch point for children who want to make their community a better place.

Improving the World However You can

My family and I do what we can to make things around us better. You may do the same. If you’re teaching the children how to make their corner of the world a better place, they would enjoy reading “Adventures of German Shepherd and Egret.” Claire’s book could unlock some ideas that are waiting to be released from their brains and put into action by them and their friends.

Claire is not only an author. She is also the founder of Stealth, a software development company dedicated to helping companies grow their clientele in an affordable way. In addition to Stealth, she also runs Claire-ified. Claire-ified offers Chief of Staff operations for startup founders.

In her book, Claire takes her expertise and uses it to pen the story of Claire and Adam, who explore the deep tech facets of the world together. This is not Claire’s first writing attempt. She has also been published in NATE Magazine.

“Pete’s Beat” Teaches Confidence through Music and Practice

Pete loves music. He loves playing drums. Luckily, he had enough encouragement to continuing practicing his drumming from someone who saw his talent and potential. It’s important to help kids when they are practicing and ensuring they don’t get discouraged. It could be easy to feel frustrated with something and walk away from it permanently. Whatever it is my children are working on, music, homework, putting together an arts and crafts project, I try to encourage them as much as I can. If they are discouraged or frustrated, I have them take a break and rest their brains before going back to it for another try.

Some people try to find their rhythm when it comes to music. Others try to find their rhythm in the grand scheme of things. Some feel they need to fit in, and if they do, they’ll be able to find their rhythm. It’s common, especially with kids. No one wants to feel left out. It’s not always easy finding your way. Along the course of life, people will try things. It could be literature, art, music, cooking. People will try different things or new hobbies. It’s a great way to let out your creativity. Plus, it gives you the chance to try something new, and you can meet new people.

There are plenty of things that can hold people back when it comes to trying things. One of the biggest things holding people back is the fear of failing when they try something. Trying and practicing is how people get better at things, but it can take a while to get good at something. Sometimes, the biggest thing that is holding you back is YOU.

Read “Pete’s Beat”

Your child can learn a lesson from Pete when it comes to trusting yourself and your talents. Pete is a young drummer and the main character in Matt Robinson’s “Pete’s Beat”. The book is illustrated by Scott Hubeny.

Pete is an aspiring musician who is always practicing his drumming technique. He is practicing at school using pencils, at the dinner table using his fork and knife. He’ll practice on his bed using a pillow for his drum, practicing away using his bare hands.

“By the end of the month, Pete had tried so many instruments that he was not sure which to play next. All he knew was that he had yet to find his own beat.”

-“Pete’s Beat”

People notice Pete’s work and encourage him to practice and play more. Pete lacks the confidence to take further steps with his playing. It’s a common thing with children and adults alike: Their lack of confidence holds them back. They don’t think they’re good enough, so they stop practicing, and they are stuck in that rut.

Always Encourage your Children

Between sports, academics, and music, I try to encourage my children to do their best. Practicing is how you get better. It’s not just with my own children, but also the children I coached in sports. Work on your game, your art. Practice. Continue to study your niche and sharpen your skills.

Circle Man (That’s his name) notices Pete’s talent and he encourages him to be confident in what he has and share his skill with the listening world. It’s not always an easy thing to do, but sometimes the only thing holding you back is you yourself.

The book talks about people being brave enough to try, confident enough to out themselves out there, and it also talks about a love for music. I love music. I’m not talented in the musical instrument category, but my children are. The Boy is a trombone player. The Oppressed played a tuba. When both Miracles of Christ were in elementary school, they played recorders. I knew a little about recorders thanks to “The Legend of Zelda”.

Lessons in Music and Life

“Everyone can play. All you need to do is find your own beat!” – Circle Man

In addition to the story, “Pete’s Beat” also has a glossary introducing music novices to the key terms in the book. There are also puzzles to do to help the reader learn more about instruments mentioned in the book and other instruments in the world of music. Not only does the book show what a little encouragement and practice can do, the puzzles make for a little break from practice.

“The Hyena who Laughed so Hard” by James Croft

A lot of people like to laugh. Some people need to laugh after a tough day at work or school. Some people, like the elephant, are grumpy and don’t want to laugh. Laughing is good for you. It makes you feel better. The monkey had an idea to see who could make people laugh the most. What could be better than to find out the funniest thing people can do? And what was it that made the hyena laugh his pants off? I’ll give you a hint: There’s an elephant sleeping under the tree.

Dads know that their humor isn’t always appreciated by their children. Sometimes their best jokes can fall victim to indifference. It’s a shame, really because I’ve told some great stories and jokes, but they only get eye rolls from my miracles of Christ.

Honestly, it was easier when the cherubs were younger. You find a Looney Tunes cartoon, and you and your child can sit back and enjoy yourselves for a little bit. Sometimes you can find a movie everyone can enjoy. The funny movies will make you laugh, and that’s why I like them so much.

Our pets can make us laugh. When our four-legged friends are little, they need a little time to adjust to their new surroundings. Kitty was relegated to a room on the first floor. She was a little thing and our house was big. We didn’t want her to get overwhelmed or lost. That would be bad. As she got older, we let her explore a little more and more. Now, she is all grown up and she patrols the home and the yard making sure the bipeds of our home are safe. Sometimes, I like to aim a laser pointer at the floor and watch her try to move her paws as fast as she can and catch the dot. She’ll look under her paw to see if the dot is there. It’s not. It’s next to her moving across the room again. This amuses me. Simple pleasures for simple minds.

Children can also make you laugh. It can be something they did or something they said or the way they used to say something. Sometimes they can tell you a story and that will make you laugh.

“The Hyena who Laughed so Hard his Pants Fell off”

You hear a lot about hyenas and how much they like to laugh. James Croft has written a book about a hyena spending a day on the savannah with his friends. His book, “The Hyena who Laughed so Hard his Pants fell off” tells the story of a hyena, a monkey, and a stork. Three friends who decide to have a contest to see who can make everyone laugh the hardest.

Everyone thinks this is a great idea. Everyone, that is, except for a grumpy elephant who just wants to rest under a tree. The antics of the other three animals make everyone laugh except for the elephant. He gives the other animals a piece of his mind. The monkey, hyena, and stork don’t understand what the problem is. They are laughing and having a good time on a hot day in the savannah. What could the problem possibly be?

What made the hyena laugh his pants off? Here’s a hint: There’s an elephant sleeping under the tree.

people laugh the most. What could be better than to find out the funniest thing people can do? And what was it that made the hyena laugh his pants off? I’ll give you a hint: There’s an elephant sleeping under the tree.

Croft wrote this book to offer an exploration into friendship and humor. It’s not a comfortable day in the savannah, but three friends still find a way to enjoy themselves and have a good time.

Dad Jokes

“I think the real reason is they don’t want to admit my superior humor and entertaining skills.”

We’ve all heard about “Dad Jokes” and how they sometimes make Dad laugh and nobody else. I like to tell these jokes because I love the groans and eyerolls the Miracles of Christ give when they hear them. It annoys the children, but I think the real reason is they don’t want to admit my superior humor and entertaining skills.

Making laugh is fun. It’s something I enjoy doing. This book is a fun book to read with your children because it shows that any time of any day can be fun. And if you have a day where you don’t feel like laughing, you just might laugh anyway. Laughing is fun and it makes your day easier. The hyena, the monkey, and the stork understand this. Read this book and your child can understand it too.

There are all kinds of things that can make us laugh. Movies make me laugh. The Three Stooges make me laugh. Cartoons make me laugh. I loved watching “The Animaniacs” when I was a teenager. Your children will find different things that will entertain them, and these things will change as they get older. Sometimes, there will be one or two things that will stay with them their whole life. When I took The Boy to school, he and I would watch Heckle and Jeckle or Deputy Dawg until it was time for school. He has since moved on to watching amine. Oh well.

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