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!

How to Cheer Up Dad

In honor of Father’s Day this Sunday, it seems appropriate to highlight one of our new books about fathers—How to Cheer Up Dad. In Fred Koehler’s delightful picture-book debut, Little Jumbo’s dad was having a bad day, but Little Jumbo couldn’t figure out why. He, comically, looked right past his display of shooting raisins from his trunk, his refusal to take a bath, and his, let’s say, “clothes-free” stroll around the neighborhood. What could possibly be making his father so upset?! J

In an effort to help his dad improve his mood, Little Jumbo suggested a time-out, but instead, his dad sent him to time-out. Huh? During his little break, Little Jumbo thought of ideas to cheer up his grumpy dad. Starting with a hug, Little Jumbo spent the rest of the day doing things that he knew his dad would enjoy—playing baseball, sharing ice cream, fishing, and reading his favorite bedtime story. This funny storyline will resonate with dads everywhere and is a perfect choice for Father’s Day or any other day of the year!

Hug a Bull: An Ode to Animal Dads

 

In honor of Father’s Day (I know I’m a little late, but this is still Father’s Day week, right?), I thought I’d share a cute new book about animal dads. Hug a Bull: An Ode to Animal Dads, by Aaron Zenz, features all sorts of animal babies and their dads playing happily together. The illustrations are completely adorable, but they aren’t even my favorite part; I love the rhyming text and all of the new vocabulary words. The book names each animal dad, which makes it a great vocabulary-booster for your child. And, if you’re like me, it will be a vocabulary-booster for you, too (I can't be the only one who didn’t know that a male kangaroo is called a boomer, right?)! So, if you’re looking for a fun book that celebrates dads of all kinds, come give this one a look!