Can you please recommend some children's book titles featuring father/child interaction instead of mother/child interaction?
January 18, 2011 3:00 PM Subscribe
Can you please recommend some children's book titles featuring father/child interaction instead of mother/child interaction?
I'm a single father and read to my son often. Most of the books I read him feature mother/child interaction; ain't nothing wrong with that. However, I'd like to get my mitts on some books with father/child interaction instead.
I sometimes try to replace the instances of "mom" with "dad" in the text, but it doesn't make a lot of sense when the illustrations show a bear wearing a skirt.
What do you recommend?
I'm a single father and read to my son often. Most of the books I read him feature mother/child interaction; ain't nothing wrong with that. However, I'd like to get my mitts on some books with father/child interaction instead.
I sometimes try to replace the instances of "mom" with "dad" in the text, but it doesn't make a lot of sense when the illustrations show a bear wearing a skirt.
What do you recommend?
Best answer: You want Roald Dahl's Danny, the Champion of the World.
posted by infinitywaltz at 3:03 PM on January 18, 2011 [12 favorites]
posted by infinitywaltz at 3:03 PM on January 18, 2011 [12 favorites]
I was going to recommend Danny the Champion of the World also, and then on preview it was already recommended.
I loved that book as a kid. It's a chapter book, though, so he may not be old enough.
posted by geegollygosh at 3:05 PM on January 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
I loved that book as a kid. It's a chapter book, though, so he may not be old enough.
posted by geegollygosh at 3:05 PM on January 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: This is as close as we get to a chapter book, 4 short stories that all tie together at the end.
posted by sciurus at 3:07 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by sciurus at 3:07 PM on January 18, 2011
Best answer: Daddy Kisses! And Daddy Cuddles, too.
Because Your Daddy Loves You might be good for a bit later, as might Just Me and My Dad.
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:13 PM on January 18, 2011
Because Your Daddy Loves You might be good for a bit later, as might Just Me and My Dad.
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:13 PM on January 18, 2011
Best answer: Okay, this may seem strange, but here it goes. My father essentially adopted my half brother. And he always said that Horton Hatches the Egg reminded him of his relationship with my brother, which was always a sweet thing for him to say. For a much more traditional chose, I highly recommend Danny the Champion of the World.
posted by bananafish at 3:17 PM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by bananafish at 3:17 PM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Guess How Much I Love You was a big hit with both my kids. It's even better when your toddler says "little brown nut-hair" instead of "Little Nutbrown Hare." Especially if you're at Grandma's house.
posted by SamanthaK at 3:17 PM on January 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by SamanthaK at 3:17 PM on January 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: just me and my dad
Daddy Hugs
I love you just the way you are
The Emperor's egg
Curious George books
Papa, Please get the moon for me
Knuffle Bunny
posted by dpx.mfx at 3:20 PM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Daddy Hugs
I love you just the way you are
The Emperor's egg
Curious George books
Papa, Please get the moon for me
Knuffle Bunny
posted by dpx.mfx at 3:20 PM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: (Self-link-sort-of: Some of these books are from the company where I work)
Knuffle Bunny and its sequels
Piggy and Dad Go Fishing
Papa, Do You Love Me?
Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?
Guess How Much I Love You
posted by cider at 3:20 PM on January 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
Knuffle Bunny and its sequels
Piggy and Dad Go Fishing
Papa, Do You Love Me?
Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?
Guess How Much I Love You
posted by cider at 3:20 PM on January 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
somehow that got posted without more links. I was also going to add Horton Hatches an Egg.
posted by dpx.mfx at 3:21 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by dpx.mfx at 3:21 PM on January 18, 2011
Best answer: The Apple Pie That Papa Baked. A friend's two-year-old is currently obsessed with it.
posted by fairfax at 3:23 PM on January 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by fairfax at 3:23 PM on January 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I read this to my class of kindergartners the other day -- they loved it, and so did I!
posted by bluestocking at 3:36 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by bluestocking at 3:36 PM on January 18, 2011
Best answer: There is the classic Hop on Pop. I did what's called a tagmash over at LibraryThing of a few relevant tags in case you're looking for a long possbily-relevant list.
posted by jessamyn at 3:43 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by jessamyn at 3:43 PM on January 18, 2011
Best answer: My boys love Papa Please Get the Moon For Me
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 3:47 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 3:47 PM on January 18, 2011
Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me. I bought this as a "hey you had a baby too!" book for my husband when our daughter was about three months old, and he couldn't get through it without tears for another three months because the book so beautifully encapsulated the degree to which he would move the earth for her.
Also Daddy Cuddles and Daddy Kisses, both of which are adorable.
posted by KathrynT at 3:47 PM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also Daddy Cuddles and Daddy Kisses, both of which are adorable.
posted by KathrynT at 3:47 PM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: You guys are awesome and these recommendations are great so far! I'm getting a little choked up just thinking about reading some of these to him.
posted by sciurus at 3:49 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by sciurus at 3:49 PM on January 18, 2011
My 2 year-old really likes Hop on Pop right now, but I was surprised to see that there is literally just one spread in the book devoted to, well, hopping on Pop. The rest of the book is miscellaneous Seuss stuff. Not how I remembered it at all.
posted by misterbrandt at 3:56 PM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by misterbrandt at 3:56 PM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I Love My Daddy Because
How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight trades off between mommies and daddies.
posted by monkeymadness at 4:08 PM on January 18, 2011
How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight trades off between mommies and daddies.
posted by monkeymadness at 4:08 PM on January 18, 2011
Best answer: The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban
posted by christopherious at 4:24 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by christopherious at 4:24 PM on January 18, 2011
Best answer: Good Night, Little Bear is one of our favorites.
posted by belladonna at 4:32 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by belladonna at 4:32 PM on January 18, 2011
Best answer: No Matter What has a gender-non-specified characters (unless there's a subtlety I didn't pick up when I read it) and is sweet.
Oh, Daddy! has a dad, a grandmother, and a non-specified adult, and is funny. It could easily be read that it's a single dad, with the grandmother and the other adult visiting.
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:36 PM on January 18, 2011
Oh, Daddy! has a dad, a grandmother, and a non-specified adult, and is funny. It could easily be read that it's a single dad, with the grandmother and the other adult visiting.
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:36 PM on January 18, 2011
Best answer: Someday Angeline by Louis Sachar, when you're ready for chapter books.
posted by Flannery Culp at 4:40 PM on January 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Flannery Culp at 4:40 PM on January 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: We're Going on a Bear Hunt is a classic, and features a dad.
posted by kjs4 at 4:46 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by kjs4 at 4:46 PM on January 18, 2011
I just wanted to nth Danny, The Champion of the World. That was one of my favorite books as a kid (they have so much FUN!) and I still love it. I should read it again.
posted by pemberkins at 4:48 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by pemberkins at 4:48 PM on January 18, 2011
Best answer: Bigger than Daddy is a popular one in my house.
Todd Parr's books are good fun, including The Daddy Book.
posted by bluedaisy at 4:59 PM on January 18, 2011
Todd Parr's books are good fun, including The Daddy Book.
posted by bluedaisy at 4:59 PM on January 18, 2011
Not a book, but Woodours is a really nice toy featuring a daddy bear and a baby bear who go fishing together.
posted by agent99 at 5:01 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by agent99 at 5:01 PM on January 18, 2011
Pinoccio (at least as Disney tells it) features no mother-figure, just the clockmaker [male] & Jiminy Cricket (also male). The only female of note besides the pets is a fairy that turns up now & again. And it turns out (who knew?), that Pinoccio is less about lying & more about a father's joy and a son's devotion. The nose gets all the press, but is actually a very minor part of the tale.
posted by Ys at 6:09 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by Ys at 6:09 PM on January 18, 2011
Will I Have a Friend? Father takes his son to kindergarten.
posted by Melismata at 6:39 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by Melismata at 6:39 PM on January 18, 2011
Martin Waddell wrote more Little Bear and Big Bear books, and my kids loved them. Added bonus--he's a guy writing kids books, which my son always thought was so cool.
posted by Ideefixe at 6:44 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by Ideefixe at 6:44 PM on January 18, 2011
I feel like in both the Ramona books and the Little House books, the little-girl protagonist is kind of a daddy's girl. Both stories have moms in them, but the moms are not as memorable as the dads, and the girls derive a lot of strength and happiness from their strong relationships with their fathers. I guess if you're looking for specifically father-son, though, these may not be useful, but wanted to put it out there anyway.
posted by little light-giver at 6:46 PM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by little light-giver at 6:46 PM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
"We're very Good Friends, My Father and I" (PK Hallinan)is one of our favorites. All about the fun stuff dad and son like to do together.
Also "Daddies are for Catching Fireflies" is good.
http://www.amazon.com/Were-Very-Good-Friends-Father/dp/0824953754/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1295405786&sr=8-1
posted by mazienh at 6:59 PM on January 18, 2011
Also "Daddies are for Catching Fireflies" is good.
http://www.amazon.com/Were-Very-Good-Friends-Father/dp/0824953754/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1295405786&sr=8-1
posted by mazienh at 6:59 PM on January 18, 2011
Night Cars is a little boy and his dad in a city apartment, hearing cars outside the window all night, and going to get a donut in the morning.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:45 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:45 PM on January 18, 2011
The bus driver is a father figure in Don't. Let the pigeon stay up late
posted by brujita at 10:57 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by brujita at 10:57 PM on January 18, 2011
Best answer: Anthony Browne's My Dad. Browne's books are great because the illustrations have hidden patterns or jokes that adults can occupy their minds with whilst reading the books for the nth time. He's also the current Children's Laureate.
posted by paduasoy at 5:02 AM on January 19, 2011
posted by paduasoy at 5:02 AM on January 19, 2011
Best answer: There's a short story called The Pudding Like A Night On The Sea in which a father teaches his two boys to make a lemon meringue pie.
posted by the latin mouse at 12:29 AM on January 21, 2011
"What are you going to make?" I said.It's anthologised all over the place, but it belongs in The Stories Julian Tells.
"A pudding," he said.
My father is a big man with wild black hair. When he laughs, the sun laughs in the window panes. When he thinks, you can almost see his thoughts sitting on all the tables and chairs. When he is angry, me and my little brother Huey shiver to the bottom of our shoes.
"What kind of pudding will you make?" Huey said.
"A wonderful pudding," my father said. "It will taste like a whole raft of lemons. It will taste like a night on the sea."
posted by the latin mouse at 12:29 AM on January 21, 2011
Two more I picked up at the library today (and which people who read this will place holds on at KCLS and I won't be able to renew them grrrr go find your own copy of Little Gorilla):
Grumpy Cat: a solo male cat adopts a female kitten
Bigger than Daddy: I've only leafed through it but it seems to be a dad and his son and nobody else, and I think the author has other dad-and-child books
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:33 PM on January 26, 2011
Grumpy Cat: a solo male cat adopts a female kitten
Bigger than Daddy: I've only leafed through it but it seems to be a dad and his son and nobody else, and I think the author has other dad-and-child books
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:33 PM on January 26, 2011
This showed up when I was looking for the Amazon links above. I haven't read it, but it sounds right:
A Perfect Day
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:36 PM on January 26, 2011
A Perfect Day
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:36 PM on January 26, 2011
More I came across in the library today:
Big Bear, Small Bear (it isn't specified that they're male, but I read it that way)
You Can Do Anything, Daddy and, by the same author:
Goodnight Goon (really I just want to link to Goodnight Goon. But it does seem to be a male child and the "old lady whispering 'hush'" is now a werewolf who may well be male)
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:30 PM on February 7, 2011
Big Bear, Small Bear (it isn't specified that they're male, but I read it that way)
You Can Do Anything, Daddy and, by the same author:
Goodnight Goon (really I just want to link to Goodnight Goon. But it does seem to be a male child and the "old lady whispering 'hush'" is now a werewolf who may well be male)
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:30 PM on February 7, 2011
Where's My Cow? by Terry Pratchett. I haven't read it for ages, but as I recall it's mostly Sam Vimes reading to Young Sam. Lady Sybil might show up at some point. I just can't stay out of this thread.
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:06 PM on February 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:06 PM on February 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by amicamentis at 3:02 PM on January 18, 2011