Rory the Dinosaur: Me and My Dad

In honor of Father’s Day this weekend, I thought I’d highlight one of our latest picture books about dads. Rory the Dinosaur: Me and My Dad, by Liz Climo, is an adorable story about an energetic little dinosaur named Rory. Rory and his dad live on an island and do lots of fun things together, like fishing and looking for seashells.

One day, instead of disturbing his dad while he’s reading, Rory decides to go on an adventure all by himself. Unbeknownst to Rory, his dad notices him leaving and follows him. During his outing, Rory faces lots of obstacles with which his dad would typically assist him, like crossing a river, scaring away a wild pig, and finding shelter during a storm. Your kids will enjoy being in on the secret, as Rory’s dad stealthily helps out with each situation while Rory thinks he’s handling everything on his own.

The end of the book shows Rory telling his, now raggedy-looking, dad about his adventure. This is a fun story that demonstrates the fierce love of a dad. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there who, like Rory’s dad, would do anything to protect and care for their little ones!

Who's Your Daddy?

If you're a little boy in one of these two picture books, your daddy is a pretty good sport. 

In Mitchell's License the title character uses his dad as a racecar when it's time for bed.  It takes some practice to get the hang of driving around a grown up, including one fender bender (Dad's nose against a wall), and some practice pulling on his ear to go in reverse.  Tony Fucile's illustrations perfectly capture this pajama-clad father and son duo and show that even the most basic rituals can be turned into a sporting event.

Daddy Adventure Day is told from the perspective of an energetic brown-haired boy who manages to rouse his sleepy father at 4:45am for an adventure day.  They attend the boy's first baseball game and the day is full of surprises for both of them.  The boy's humorous reminders that there are no cell phone calls to work and no newspaper reading on Daddy Adventure Day keep dad in check while the father's patience with his son's ballpark snack spills help give the adventure a realistic and comforting feel.

Share these with the sports-loving fathers and sons in your life...or the ones who are just good sports.