Daddy-Sitting

March 11, 2019
A cheerful girl describes her day spent playfully caring for her father. After the girl makes her bearded, bespectacled father cereal for breakfast (most of the milk lands on the table), they bike to the playground (he provides the leg power) then go shopping at the grocery store, where the girl takes a quick nap (“I can’t watch him every minute”). Back home, she has “lots of jobs to do,” including hosting a tea party; her father, meanwhile, finishes household chores. For all of her skills, he’s not too shabby, either. Coy’s chalky watercolor-and-colored-pencil art brings a quality of quiet panache to a familiar father-daughter dynamic as the girl imagines her father as a “famous chocolate maker,” a lion tamer, and an astronaut. But he foregoes those roles: “He wants to do only one job, which is always packed with adventure... being my daddy.” Coy’s message about choosing to full-heartedly parent is clear; readers may wonder, though: couldn’t he fit some lion taming in on the side? Ages 4–7.

April 1, 2019
A young girl tells readers how she cares for her father when she is Daddy-sitting. As in many other books with this similar theme, the disconnect between the pictures and the text is what makes the book funny: It's clear that the girl is acting according to her own wishes and whims, not her dad's, and that's to be expected at her young age. "Daddy is full of energy and needs lots of exercise" shows the dad pedaling a bicycle up a steep hill, his daughter in a tow-behind trailer (neither wear helmets), on the way to the playground. He seems pooped. The page reading "Sometimes he doesn't watch where he's going" sets up the page turn nicely, Daddy headed for an obstacle course of toys on the floor while toting a heaped laundry basket. The watercolor-and-colored-pencil artwork combines spot, single-page, and full-spread illustrations to show the loving relationship the two share, Daddy always willing to jump in and join his daughter's play while at the same time giving her space to explore on her own (and for him to get some chores done). Mommy appears in the evening with her leather satchel, which reads as her returning from work. All three present white. This stay-at-home dad, though clearly imperfect, knows what's important. (Picture book. 3-8)

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June 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-This sweet role-reversal book tells the story of a girl who is "daddy-sitting." Readers watch through a little girl's eyes as this loving daddy spends the whole day playing, amusing, and taking care of his daughter. The little girl works hard to keep her daddy having fun and daydreams about what he will be when he grows up. Together, the little girl, her daddy, and their sweet cat following along in the background, have a day full of adventures. The ending brings the whole family together, with daddy doing what he does best-being a daddy. The narrative is told through short, vague, sentences from the little girl's perspective. The artwork is where the real heart if the story lies. Sweet and subtle, the illustrations help viewers see daddy's day in much more detail than the text alone suggests. Together, the word and artwork create a story that can be enjoyed as a read-aloud, with many opportunities to draw readers' attention to the pictures. Readers looking for books to spark conversations on father-child experiences will enjoy the opportunity for discussion. VERDICT A short & sweet story of a girl and her daddy, perfect for Father's Day or any day. Recommended general purchase.

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