*Review* Papa Can Fix It! by Lee Alfred

Genre: Children's 3-8 years

Published: May 10, 2023

Pages: 32

Liam and Landen are fun-loving, high-energy boys, and when they play, they play hard. Smash! There goes a race car. Crack! A board game got busted. Whenever Nana and Papa come to visit, Papa has the DIY skills to fix the broken toys. Good as new, right? The boys are delighted. "Papa Can Fix It!"

Until the day when Papa tells the brothers they're being careless and destructive with their toys. Liam and Landen are heartbroken! They didn't mean to misbehave. Fortunately, Nana has a big heart, and she knows how to make them feel better.

Liam and Landen are the stars of their own series! Papa Can Fix It! is the first book in their ongoing adventures. Next up is Boogie B Gone, where Liam and Landen tackle monsters! And in Book Three, This is My Face, the boys get goofy as they try out all the feelings they can express. Get to know them, their family, their dog, and their friends, and smile at their antics as they grow and learn.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a funny story about two young boys who break and destroy everything they touch. Their grandfather always comes in to save the day and fixes what they've broken, so they don't learn that they need to treat their toys and things with more care. Eventually he gets fed up with always being called on to fix everything because of their careless disregard and tells them that they're too rough with things, which hurts their feelings. Grandma's hugs fix their hurt feelings. 

I definitely think the message that kids need to take better care of their things than they typically do when they are young is a good one, but I feel like this book shows that issue not being addressed enough. Like that should be part of every time Grandpa fixes something. For that reason, I wouldn't really want to read this book very often. The illustrations were very bright and colorful though. 

Overall I give Papa Can Fix It 2.8946 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Lee Alfred II began his creative career at MTV Films. He moved on to work with Tova Laiter at Avida Entertainment where he optioned his first screenplay, Red Hood, to Walt Disney Pictures. Lee continued his creative writing, following up with several more screenplays before writing the spec screenplay titled Pirates of the Caribbean. While at Avida, Lee shifted to producing with the 2003 film Temptation.

He joined Academy Award winner Forrest Whitaker as a creative executive and director of Whitaker's philanthropic division, partnering with UNESCO to establish global peace building programs for underprivileged youth and to inspire global change. Lee co-produced the award-winning documentary Rising from Ashes along with Whitaker, who also narrated the film.

After the birth of his sons, Lee wanted to spend more time with his wife, to watch his sons grow up. He has used his bachelor's and two master's degrees to blend his career in entertainment with a new career in education. That blend was evident when he was the executive producer of The House Next Door 2, which was theatrically released by Lions Gate, while serving as a high school principal. In addition,

Lee is producing and co-hosting the talk show Ed Table. This platform serves as a conversational space for educators to share and collaborate. The show is produced by Leeway Creative Co and Anew Project.

Watching his two sons create havoc around the house during the COVID quarantine, Lee decided to put his talent as a storyteller to work by creating a children's book series chronicling the exploits of Liam and Landen. Papa Can Fix It! is the first book in the series.