This past week my youngsters and I have been talking about Father’s Day and brainstorming the perfect gifts. My oldest son actually came up with the idea of picking out books to read with dad. Finding a new selection of bedtime stories for this week that focused on dads.
We’ve headed to the library near our house a few times each week since the summer started so it was natural to start a scavenger hunt to see if we could find the “perfect books to read with daddy.” This was another way to build excitement without spending any extra money. I was honestly shocked how many books we found that I wanted to get, but knowing my husband and his not-so-passionate love of books, I knew I needed to narrow down the list.
Because Your Daddy Loves You by Andrew Clements (our favorite)
Spend a day with a dad and son and all of the things that daddy does to show his love in actions not words. When dad stays with him after a bad dream, helps him find his shoe in a messy room, gets a beach ball out of the ocean when the wind carries it away, takes him for ice cream and cleans his sticky fingers. Just a few examples of showing love. The part that got me is that his dad carries him to bed after a long day. My son said, “That’s what daddy does with me.” He was able to make a strong personal connection with the book and how much his dad loves him.
Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too by Anna Dewdney
If your kids are a fan of Llama Llama books, they will probably enjoy this too. It is by the same author and has the same rhyming found in Llama Llama books. In this book Nelly Gnu and her daddy spend the day together building a playhouse and going to the hardware store. It is very relatable to those dads that are always completing DIY projects with kids watching on or helping out.
Return by Aaron Becker
This book is special because it has absolutely no words. It is perfect for younger kids that are not reading just yet, but can tell a story just by looking at the illustrations. Each child will have a different version of the story makes this book so meaningful. It starts with a busy dad working in his office. Because dad is working the daughter draws herself into an imaginary world. Throughout the story the dad notices she is gone and travels to this magical world to save her. The power of a dad’s love is what jumps out most in this book, and his willingness to travel to the ends of the Earth for his daughter.
Daddy Said A Word* I Never Heard by Scott M. Cohn
This book made me laugh out loud just by reading the cover. It is so relatable, especially in my house. Does your daddy use colorful language that your littles shouldn’t? This book dives into different examples and what happens when the daughter goes to school and uses new words she heard dad say. It is done in fun and gives a suggestion on how to talk out feelings. The twist at the end is mom isn’t so perfect and surprises the family with a word they’ve never heard. Parents aren’t always perfect.
My Day, My Hero by Ethan Long
This starts out talking about all of the things Dad can’t do. Yep, the real stuff. Dad doesn’t have super strength, he can not see through walls, he is not indestructible. None of that matters though. The ending message is that even though his dad isn’t a superhero with superhero skills, it’s OK…he’s a hero because he is a super dad.
Daddies Are Awesome by Meredith Costain
This is a very fast and easy read about dogs and puppies and how daddies are always there to help them. If the dad in your life isn’t a reading fan, it’s ok. This is a great book he can read with the littles ones that won’t take a lot of time but still has heart.
There are thousands of other books that focus on how special dads are. These are just a few we were able to enjoy from our local library. If you don’t have a chance to get to the library or bookstore, simply type in the book titles to YouTube. Most of them have the read-a-louds already there. Hopefully we will start a new summer tradition the week of Father’s Day for years to come.
