Fathers Day Picture Books

Mama Mama/Papa Papa (0-3) is a beautifully illustrated board book for babies about why little animal babies love their parents. One side shows all the helpful and loving things dads do for their tiny offspring. Flip the book over for moms and this is really two-stories-in-one. Human children will recognize all the tender care parents give to babies throughout the animal kingdom. The rhyming text is delightfully evocative of the bond between parents and children everywhere.

Daddy Hug (0-3) In illustrations so adorable I may just get a toothache, Daddies of the animal kingdom, splash, sneak and squeak their way into our hearts. Although the book does not contain factual information about animals, kids will increase their vocabulary for the way animals move while enjoying lots of wild animal family “portraits”.

My Daddy Is a Giant (0-3) is a favorite for my children. They relate to the idea that Daddy seems to have superhuman powers of strength and speed. And they love the way Daddy protects them and lifts them up to his level. The paint and pastel illustrations are charmingly simple and perfectly capture that moment in childhood when Daddy is a superhero.

Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me (3-6) is a sweet story of a father who loves his daughter so much, he’ll do anything for her–even pull down the moon to be her companion. This dad goes the distance–climbing tall mountains to retrieve his daughter’s heart’s desire. Eventually the moon wanes, but it returns to its place in the sky, perhaps offering a subtle lesson about letting go. Eric Carle’s classic illustrations give the book a folksy and warm feel. This tale celebrates the special daddy/daughter relationship and the power of dreams.

A Perfect Father’s Day (3-6) is a story that the adults find particularly amusing. A little girl proposes a Father’s Day outing with all of her Dad’s favorites–eating at the food court, feeding the ducks, swinging on swings, and climbing the monkey bars. My daughter quickly caught on that the dad is going along with his little girl’s favorite activities out of love.

Because Your Daddy Loves You (3-6) features a father who tackles life with his daughter with a great deal of patience and humor. Each time the dad does something my husband does with our own kids, my children smiled broadly. They enjoyed seeing the Daddy lift his tired girl on his shoulders, carefully clean up the ice cream mess, and tell his child how much he loves her.

Wild Dads! (4-8) explores the roles of animal fathers in the wild. Interesting trivia about animal dads who care for their babies by keeping them warm, feeding them, and even in one case “giving birth”! Descriptions are clear and simple, yet informative. Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy learning about these special wild dads.

Related Posts

One thought on “7 Picture Books for Father’s Day

Comments are closed.