Clearly this book rides on Meghan Markle's name.....and not much more than that. Sure, it's sweet and I loved the emphasis on fathers! This is happening more often in children's books these days (which THRILLS me) but there isn't much substance to it. I find myself wanting more

There is wonderful diverse representation. (Fathers of all races and abilities). ( )

A mother reflects on the relationships between her partner and her son.

This is a sweet book that I can see being a popular Father's Day gift and/or readaloud. While the text is that of one mother seeing how a father and son will bond over the years, the illustrations show several different parent-child combinations so that a diverse group of people of various races, religions, and abilities are depicted. For me, the illustrations really sold the book. The text was slight and could have enjoyed slightly better cadence and proper punctuation. ( )

Although marketed as a children’s book, “The Bench” isn’t a children’s book at all, at least not in the traditional sense of what one considers a "children's book." It’s not a “cute, child-centered story for Little Ones”; rather, it’s the chronicling of family, a tender affirmation of the omnipresent love for the child. Seen through a mother's eyes, it’s a celebration of fathers and sons, paying homage to that special relationship since, when the Father’s Day poem that serves as the narrative for the book was written, there was only a son.

The softly colored illustrations are ethereal as if seeking to include all children, in all places, in all families. They exude a gentleness that highlights the love shining through each word of the narrative.

It matters less whether the child in the telling of the tale is a son or a daughter [and both boys and girls are shown in the illustrations]; what matters is the shared feeling of love as the child grows, supported by the parent who’s always watching, always caring . . . and always there.

Highly recommended. ( )