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Spend Time with Dad through Books
By Holly E. Newton
Father’s
Day is the perfect day to spend special time with Dad. Here
are some great picture books to help celebrate this special day.
 Panda
Whispers, by Mary Beth
Owens, is an inspiring tale that begins with a father reading to
his daughter just before bedtime. He reads about animals from
far and wide as they settle down with their offspring and the whisperings
of encouragement they give them just before sleep. The panda
parent whispers, “Dream of climbing”; the penguin parent
whispers, “Use your belly,” and the llama parent whispers,
“Top of the world!” Each animal is beautifully painted,
also illustrated by the author, with vivid colors that fill both
pages and work perfectly with the rhyming text. “In a bedroom,
child and father / hear the ocean in the night. / Dream you’ll sail
to far-off places, then sail back by morning’s light.” Here’s
a story that will help your little ones drift off to sleep feeling
loved and secure.
 Has
Anyone Seen My Emily Greene?,
by Norma Fox Mazer, is the quintessential
example of the children’s favorite game of hide and seek. Dad has just made lunch for Emily but can’t seem
to find her anywhere. “She’s not in the sink. She’s
not in the drawer. She’s not in the pantry or behind the door.”
The sing-song text takes on a rhythm of its own as he searches throughout
the house in the most unusual places. He looks in the air,
in the blinds and even in her socks, but can’t seem to find her
until he hears a very loud stomp on the floor and then a “tremendous
ROAR!” Now, at last, they can sit down to a delicious
lunch of “oodles of noodles” and “brown-sugar ham, and
fresh-baked bread with strawberry jam.” I found it most
interesting when I read the back flap about the author. She
wrote this wonderful story 12 years ago for her daughter to illustrate.
But her daughter passed away six years ago. When she saw Christine
Davenier’s animated watercolors and the similarities between
this illustrator and her daughter, this adorable book was completed.
 Do
you have a special day every week or month that you spend with your
child? If your answer is no, now is the time to begin.
Every Friday, by Dan Yaccarino,
is his celebration of going out with his son every Friday.
In the author’s note at the beginning of the story, the author states
that he’s been taking his son to breakfast every Friday since his
son was three. He recommends that every parent do something
similar. The story is told from the child’s point of view
and begins when both father and son leave their apartment building
early in the morning. It doesn’t matter if it’s very cold,
very wet or very hot; they head out for their diner every week.
The story
relates all that the boy sees as they walk together. The story
obviously takes place in a big city and, as the author lives in
New York City, it makes sense all
that father and son see. They see construction under
way, stores open, people they recognize and many of them in a rush
to get to work. When they finally arrive to eat, they “talk
about all sorts of things.” Then it’s time to head back
home. The last sentence indicates how much this small child
looks forward to these little “dates” with dad. The waitress
tells father and son that she’ll see them next Friday. “Already,
I can’t wait.” The bright watercolors are a perfect combination
with the story and are also done by Yaccarino.
 Are
you looking for the perfect day? From a child’s vantage point,
the perfect day would be to spend it with mom or dad. A
Perfect Day, by Remy Charlip,
is a celebration of what a day full of activities planned by a father
with his child — if given the opportunity. They would have
breakfast together. They would go on a walk and lie down to
imagine while observing clouds overhead. They would invite
friends over for a picnic outside and then sing and play all together.
Later, they would “cuddle up upon my lap, close your eyes and
take a nap.” Charlip painted
full pages of bright and glorious pictures that seamlessly go along
with his poetic text. Here is the perfect lap book for a youngster
to curl up with their parent — and to enjoy!
 How
about a book full of imagination and creativity? Daddy’s
Song, by Leslea Newman, is fun
and inventive and will most likely bring smiles and giggles to your
little listener. As dad gets ready to tuck his little girl
in bed, he begins his “Daddy’s Song”. And this starts
the silliness. “If ice cream cones fall from the sky ,/ And cats grow wings and start to fly, / If foxes play
with balls and bats, / And chickens wear fine coats and hats….”
And so on. The gorgeous pictures, by Karen Ritz, look
so real you almost think that cats with wings are real. If
you are looking for the book to make you wonder and smile, this
is the book for you!
 What
if your little one doesn’t have a father? A Father Like
That, by Charlotte Zolotow, helps
celebrate Father’s Day even if you don’t have a dad. “I
wish I had a father. But my father went away before I was
born. I say to my mother, You know
what he’d be like?” The boy proceeds to outline the many
activities that he would do with his dad. They’d walk down
the street together just before both turn in opposite directions
to go to school and work. They’d wash the dinner dishes together
and then play checkers. His dad would read a story just before
bedtime. They’d share a soda together and talk to the boy’s
teacher. So many things to do with a dad
that’s not there. But a story that could be sad actually
celebrates being a good and responsible father because the mom tells
her son, “When you grow up, you can be a father like that yourself!”
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Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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