THAT'S NOT FAIR

She’s mad as heck, and she’s not gonna take it anymore!

“Daddy! I have some complaints!” Silly daddy/daughter dynamics are in full swing in this entry in the Yoshitake oeuvre, following the most recent and equally funny I Can Open It for You (2023) and I Can Explain (2022). In this latest, the jig is up! A young child bursts into her father’s room and systematically sets about seeking answers to an incredible list of unfair situations she’s suffered at the hands of adults. Trouble is, whenever she confronts her father, he always has a goofy answer. Why can’t kids stay up late? Because Santa sends investigators throughout the year to make sure kids go to bed early. For every question she asks, he produces an increasingly fantastical response. And, lest we forget, kids can be unfair, too! The two reach a détente by the story’s close, but the lists of grievances will surely inspire some young readers to come up with objections and ridiculous answers of their own. As ever, Yoshitake’s minimalist yet expressive cartoons and comedic timing are on point. Even the endpapers are in on the game, showing problems at the front and a happier relationship between the girl and her dad at the end. Characters have skin the white of the page.

Life may not be fair, but at least we have books like this to soften the blow.