Dad

Publicity information
This is the second children’s poem book by Kārlis Vērdiņš; however, ‘Dad’ is a worthwhile read for grownups as well, offering in the form of poetry a critical and ironic social role play that encourages both children and parents to give some thought to the family relationships.
In a witty and poetic way, Vērdiņš depicts the ‘pain of this age’ ‒ the relationship between the parents, perplexed by the challenges of life, and their children, who comfort the grownups with their presence and give them a chance to be better.
The character playing a particularly significant role in this collection of poems is Dad, who is targeted with traditionally mocking arrows in many of the poems: a pub hero with ‘beer teeth’, showering others with empty promises; an aggressive driver… Vērdiņš could have contrasted him in an equally traditional manner with an image of a super loving and ‘correct’ mum. And yet the poet chooses to play by different rules: grotesquely exaggerated, these stereotypes transform into laughter and thus overcome ‒ even replaced by a touching warmth and mutual trust. With a smile, the author embraces the ‘changed role’ play: the loving Dad stays home to raise his son while Mum is the one who goes to work to earn their living.
Source: liels un mazs

Awards
July 24th, 2016: the International Baltic Sea Region Jānis Baltvilks Prize in Children's literature.