To Me He Was Just Dad

“The lowdown on what it’s like to be raised by a legend. Frequently funny and consistently intimate. . . . A great read.” —BookPage “Those searching for a moving Father’s Day gift need look no further.” —Publishers Weekly Men like John Wayne and John Lennon, Nolan Ryan and Bruce Lee, Cesar Chavez, Christopher Reeve, and Miles Davis have touched the lives of millions. But at home, to their children, they were not their public personas. They were Dad. Maybe Davis didn’t leave the office at five o’clock to come home and play catch with his son Erin, but the man we see through Erin’s eyes is so alive, so real, so not the “king of cool” (he taught his son to box, made a killer pot of chili, watched MTV alongside him) that it brings us to a whole new appreciation for the artist. Each of these forty first-person narratives—intimate, heartfelt, unvarnished, surprising, and profoundly universal—shows us not only a very different view of a figure we thought we knew but also a wholly fresh and moving idea of what it means to be a father.

“The lowdown on what it’s like to be raised by a legend. Frequently funny and consistently intimate. . . . A great read.” —BookPage “Those searching for a moving Father’s Day gift need look no further.” —Publishers Weekly Men like John Wayne and John Lennon, Nolan Ryan and Bruce Lee, Cesar Chavez, Christopher Reeve, and Miles Davis have touched the lives of millions. But at home, to their children, they were not their public personas. They were Dad. Maybe Davis didn’t leave the office at five o’clock to come home and play catch with his son Erin, but the man we see through Erin’s eyes is so alive, so real, so not the “king of cool” (he taught his son to box, made a killer pot of chili, watched MTV alongside him) that it brings us to a whole new appreciation for the artist. Each of these forty first-person narratives—intimate, heartfelt, unvarnished, surprising, and profoundly universal—shows us not only a very different view of a figure we thought we knew but also a wholly fresh and moving idea of what it means to be a father.

From car games to contests to secret handshakes, this book is full of fun things for girls to do with their dads. They can punch out the paper airplanes and helicopters. They can tear out and share the notes and gift coupons. They can test their knowledge of each other with checklists made for two. And they can get to know each other even better with games and activities that are sure to leave them laughing.

Because I'm your dad, you can have spaghetti for breakfast, French toast for dinner, and rocky road ice cream in the bathtub. In a text that's both playful and loving, a father expresses his hopes and dreams for a one-of-a-kind relationship with his child. Whimsical monster characters bring the silly and sweet scenes to life and keep the book universal. The book's ending, a moving tribute to the author's father, guarantees intergenerational appeal. Because I'm your dad, I will do all of these things for you and more . . . because that's what my dad did for me.

A little lion cub can't wait to grow up and do everything just like his father.

A picture book for expectant fathers and already-fathers everywhere—a perfect gift for Father's Day and baby showers. In this touching celebration of fatherhood, the close bond between parent and child comes to life with heartwarming resonance. Laurenne Sala’s tranquil text, accompanied by Mike Malbrough’s tender watercolor illustrations, creates a warm look at the joys, fears, and responsibilities of being a dad over the years. Tear-inducing in the best way, and a great companion to the team's You Made Me a Mother. I loved you before I saw you. When you were just a heartbeat. Then a picture. Then a teeny-tiny kick...

Caldecott Honor winner David Ezra Stein's funny--and tender--tale of a growing tadpole who loves his frog dad so much he never gives him a moment's peace. Tad the tadpole spends every day with his awesome dad, and shares a lily pad with him at night. It's always been that way . . . but little Tad is growing up, and quickly becoming as awesome--and large--as his dad. As his new parts sprout, he's learning to swim and hop and croak just like Dad. Dad is very proud, but when Tad's accomplishments carry over into nighttime--bringing lots of kicking and croaking in his sleep--the lily pad is no longer a bed for two. Even Tad finally realizes it's time for a lily pad of his own, and all is well--at least until Dad realizes how much he misses Tad.

A deaf boy and his father share an early morning adventure. Early one morning, a young boy wakes to the light of his alarm clock. He puts on his hearing aids and clothes, then goes to wake his father. Together they brave the cold as they walk down the dirt road that leads to the beach. Lakin's understated story reminds readers that sometimes the best way to communicate doesn't involve words, while Steele’s watercolor illustrations show that beauty is never far away.

A father and son set out on a nighttime excursion to see the universe.

A rabbit father and his son enjoy all four seasons doing things together.