What’s a four-letter word that can be used 23 different ways?

Well, shmit! I can think of several that I use way, and I mean way, too much.

But no, no, not those words, ya shmit-heads.

I mean a clean four-letter word…

It’s D-U-D-E!

And guess what: a coupla very cool dudes put together a whole book with nothing but 23 uses of the word DUDE, and dude, it’s forkin’ awesome!

Dude (Roaring Book Press, 2018), by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Daniel Santat, is a hilarious read aloud book for kids and grownups alike. Kids will giggle—and marvel—at all the ways a single word can convey meaning. Grownups, meanwhile, will love figuring out just how to deliver the word “Dude” with exactly the right inflection to impress the future surfers huddled by their side.

Christoph and I took turns trying to read it, and we kept grabbing it out of each other’s hands and saying, “No, man, that’s not how you say it! It’s not ‘duuude;’ it’s ‘DUUUUUUDE!’”

I thought for sure my own “dudes” would win out over his “dudes,” but he won the day, for sure. (Maybe it’s a dude thing.)

But if the “dude” wordplay is fun, it’s Santat’s illustrations that are the funnest. (Fans of the Caldecott-winning book Beekle might recognize Santat’s outstanding work.) His artwork conjures up an exciting beach story of two surfer friends: a wide-eyed platypus and a jolly beaver. Eager to catch some waves, they head out into the open water, but soon they encounter a serious problem. Dude! A shark!

But it’s the story’s ending—which I won’t spoil—that is so triumphant.

This is a truly heart-warming book that shows children new ways of using language and illustration for creative storytelling.

I love this picture book, even if the biggest dude of all was strangely absent from the book.

Keep it real, dudes.

xoxo kate